Artist Unnikrishnan C on the occasion on which he realized his dream

Often, rags-to-riches stories inspire readers, but in the case of artist Unnikrishnan C, strong emotions are evoked. The artist, who hails from Nemmara in Palakkad, Kerala, is exhibiting his works as well as paintings painted by his mother Devu Nemmara at Gallery Sumukha in the city and how they got there is nothing short of incredible.

“I was always good at art. It was something I knew about myself when I was in first grade, but I never thought it could be a life choice,” says Unnikrishnan, speaking from his home in Kerala. For the son of a daily wage laborer, pursuing a career in the creative field was out of the question. Unnikrishnan admits that he was in high school even before he heard about the fine arts course.

“It was my art teacher Sushma Devi who saw my potential and urged me to pursue fine arts. She graduated with a Fine Arts degree and shared everything she had learned. This sparked my desire to study the same, but my parents were not supportive of the idea and I don’t blame them as I was not good at any school subject except arts. Besides, none of us in my family have studied beyond class 10.”

Unnikrishnan, too, might have discontinued his studies at the high school level if the twelfth class certificate had not been a criterion for enrollment in fine arts, which he eventually did at the Government College of Fine Arts Thrissur. He says, “To be honest, I was not very keen on studies, but joining a fine arts course and wanting to become an artist inspired me to pursue it.” He further added that when he Ranked 10th in the entrance exam that year, he never did. Then back.

During his studies, Unnikrishnan supported the family’s income by doing blue-collar jobs. He remembers how during a semester break, he came back home under the burden of family conflicts. “I felt the walls coming towards me as if to make me listen to my problems and take them inside me. From that day, I started painting on each brick until I reached the last year, The interiors of our house were covered with art work.”

Unnikrishnan says she shared it with her mentor Kavitha Balakrishnan, who taught art history in college, and she included the work as a video submission for an exhibition held in Chennai. He repeated similar work in college as part of his final year assessment, where it was appreciated by Jitish Kallat and Bose Krishnamachari, who included it in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014.

A work by Devu Nenmara Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

He was one of the youngest artists exhibiting at the Biennale that year and it proved to be a turning point in Unnikrishnan’s life. Her work at the Kochi Biennale led to her invitation to the Sharjah Biennale in 2015 and this continued until her first solo show was organized in Switzerland by art collector Richard Bloom in 2018.

my sweet home

Devu saw all these events happening in his son’s life, first with a feeling of apprehension followed by acceptance and much later understanding. “Initially I wondered what my son would gain from studying art, whether it would benefit him in any way, but I was also happy that he found something that made him happy. There is no point in forcing a child to read something they are not interested in. His teacher was also very confident about his talent and encouraged me,” says Devu, 62.

Unnikrishnan opened a small studio in his hometown to continue his art practice and to give underprivileged children a space to explore their creativity. During the pandemic, he shared his paints with family members and urged them to paint to take their minds off the impending uncertainty.

Unnikrishnan C A work by Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“That’s when my mom started drawing a little; She used to watch me painting after coming home from work in the evening,” he recalls.

“Art materials are difficult to find and I had set aside some dried gouache paint to use later. My mother found them, softened them with water and started drawing on some paper. At first I thought it was just curiosity, but then after the day’s work was over, she started working on making something regularly.

“I never knew she could draw and I was excited to see her working. Before I knew it, she was creating large works and I could see that she was telling the stories of her life through them,” he says, adding that the abundant use of colors reflects her emotions.

“I was just happy that he was with me and we were painting together,” says Devu, adding that Unnikrishnan did not interfere with her way of working.

“Whether it is my mother or my students, I believe that art cannot be taught. It comes from within and all we can do is provide a chance, a situation to express it,” says the 35-year-old artist.

I, Amma, We

When Unnikrishnan was in talks with Gallery Sumukha for his show, he did not tell his mother that he wanted to include her works as well. “I wanted him to paint as he always enjoyed, without any interruptions or restrictions.”

However, when I, Amma, we opened in Sumukha, Devu was present. This was his second trip outside Kerala, the first trip being for a show by Unnikrishnan in Hyderabad in late 2024. Needless to say, she was very happy to see her work on the gallery walls.

A work by Devu Nenmara Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

While Unnikrishnan prefers gouache paint, Daewoo uses acrylic, a quick-drying medium, which she needs amid her busy schedule.

Visitors to the show will notice that earthy colors and agricultural settings dominate Unnikrishnan’s work, while Daewoo’s canvases feature an explosion of color that seems almost joyous. Grains spread out to dry on mats, brick wall backgrounds and similar scenes share the walls with forest scenes where the leaves are a reflection of the creator’s palette.

I, Amma, We is on display at Gallery Sumukha till January 11, 2025.