One of the many advantages of the Kochi Muziris Biennale is that it opens up new galleries around it and new ways of showcasing art. And At Home with LMSA is a unique effort that takes art out of the traditional white cube space of the gallery by situating the art in an isolated, context-free space and a home. Neenu Jacob has, quite literally, opened up her apartment in Kochu Kadavanthra as an intimate gallery space, where she is showing the artworks of four Kerala artists. LMSA is a digital art gallery that works with mid-career and emerging artists.
Neenu Jacob Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
With the cozy noises of a home becoming the background score, works by Shruti Shivakumar, Surabhi P, Sabitha Kadanappalli, and visual artist Sabine Joseph are mounted on the walls, center table of the living room, and counter tops. So far LMSA works with nine artists, including those whose work is in the show.
Work
Shruti Shivakumar’s Echoes of a Pond series is complex. The substance is as much a subject as the pond and its ecosystem containing the intricacies of life. His medium is hand-made paper using recycled plant fibers and elephant dung, which gives life to his works.
Sabitha Kadanappalli’s Ego Sense of Being is a stark, minimalist examination of one’s own angry struggle with the ego, which seeks answers to all those questions and doubts. Without the comfort or distraction of colors, works done in black and gray on white attract attention.
The whimsy of Surbhi P’s work is unavoidable, as expressed in her ceramic miniatures aka kleinformat sculptures marked by the influence of her time in Santiniketan and memories of her home, Thrissur. Each piece appears to be straightforward but is entangled in strangeness, be it a human statue with coral growing on it, a tree with a head growing on it or a water spray bottle with what looks like a head on it. The tonal quality of the work provides texture to the work. Most of the works in these series are approximately 10 centimeters or three inches tall.
For clay and skin silhouettes, Sabin Joseph uses paper mache made from discarded newspapers, wood, ceramic and stone sculptures and wall plates to give shape to his politics and social concerns.
Neenu wants to introduce LMSA as a platform that will not only showcase but also facilitate the sale of works by mid-career and emerging artists from South Asia. It is designed based on how she collects her art by learning more about the art and the artist. An MBA, Neenu, a strategy and development executive, has over 20 years of experience in consumer internet, media and retail. Although Neenu does not have a traditional background in art, she has developed her eye by constantly attending exhibitions and keeping an eye on the contemporary art scene.
Shruti Shivakumar’s works on display. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As Neenu’s curatorial note suggests, art and everyday life co-exist rather than remain separate. Neenu and her assistant Niharika Kishore, who helps with curation, do their bit, ready to help if anyone wants to know more. There is no rush, because a home where one has the luxury of sitting with art is comfortable. This is LMSA’s first such show, which Neenu plans to take to other cities as well, first in her home city of Bengaluru and then in other cities. Although a digital gallery, Neenu envisions the LMSA to be more comprehensive than a listing gallery. The website provides insight into the artists, their opinions about their works and the process.
Surbhi P’s Kleinformat Sculptures | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On why she kept the show in this format, she says, “When we were thinking about LMSA and the exhibition, we wanted to make it accessible and we wanted to make it intimate. We highlighted the fact that a lot of people feel like they can’t go to a gallery unless they know more about the art. What we’re trying to say is that when you engage with the art, sit with it, you’ll know more. The home setting helps you be alert and “Encourages us to keep things real. And this place adds to that.”
The artefacts that Neenu has displayed have a connection with Kerala, which is why she chose them. Secondly, she wants such shows to serve as introductions to new artists, while also encouraging audiences to see things from a collectors’ perspective.
The paintings are on sale. With the Biennale, Neenu hopes visitors will consider choosing the art of Kerala artists, asking, “Why choose designer apparel as souvenirs when you can buy art?”
Exhibition timings are 11 am to 6 pm, for appointment call 9995556618.
published – February 06, 2026 03:17 PM IST