25 MARCH 2022 /
WALL OF PEACE –
THE WALL OF PEACE IN CHERPULASSERY /
The Wall of Peace is a public art project initiated by Professor Suresh K. Nair and executed with the help of his students of Banaras Hindu University in January 2019 in Cherpulassery, Kerala.
The images created on the boundary wall of the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Cherpulaserry are related to local history and tradition in order to promote peace and harmony.
The project was completed with the support of Dr. Shehen P. V, Hamsa P. V, the SPACE Project (School Project Aiming at Excellence) and the people of Cherpulassery.
“Every year, I take my students to work on various projects outside the precinct of the University with the aim to further their scope of learning through exposure and get them out of their comfort zone.
This time I chose Cherpulassery, which is close to my birthplace and 12 of my final year mural students as well as a student from the Sankaracharya University in Kalady, joined me in this pursuit. The government school, where we are building the wall, didn’t have one to begin with. It is nearly 150 years old”, famous artist Suresh K. Nair shares his nostalgic memories.
Here the artists inspire us with the rich traditions and culture of a small village portraying all historic events including Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Cherpullassery during the era of Indian independence.
The Panels include many artistic and cultural legacies of the village such as ‘Cattle race’, Puthanalkkal kalavela, folklores and obsession of the villagers in local football and other rich heritages.
The legendary freedom fighter Mozhikunnam Brahmadathan Namboodiripad who fought against Britishers was also engraved in cement on the walls of the School.
Many historical events of Cherpulassery that mark the history and rich traditions are variously depicted on the Peace Wall.
The mirrors embedded in the centre of the ‘PEACE’ panel depicted on the wall symbolises human approach and attitude towards the whole world.
“I am deeply inspired by Sri Narayana Guru, and my ideology behind this installation was for every person who looks into the mirror to realise that peace lies within us all,” says Prof. Suresh K.Nair.
Built across the 7000 Sq. ft. School wall with 25 panels in nearly 250 officially identified languages including Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, German, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Nepali, Arabic, and Egyptian were engraved.
“Our work is derived from the Sanskrit shloka, ‘Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu’ which means, may peace and happiness prevail everywhere,” says the eminent artist and Professor of Fine Arts, BHU, Varanasi in an interview.
Earlier in 2014, Suresh K. Nair has created “Peace” Art at a public space at Wagah border, a mural work on a 200 feet long wall depicting nation’s four stages – pre partition, partition, post partition and present state.
It’s not a Wall of Peace in Cherpulassery, but the Wall of Peace on the face of the entire World.
The great Mural art Project completed years back by the great artist Suresh K. Nair and his team from the prestigious Banaras Hindu University is patiently waiting for inauguration.
Perhaps waiting for the historically most relevant time as there seems to loom the major conflict in between the US led NATO and Russia in Ukraine, devastating the entire humanity beacon for Peace.
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Suresh K Nair is a Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
He studied Mural Painting from the Institute of Mural Painting Guruvayur, Kerala and Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan.
Suresh K Nair has acquired a major presence in the Indian and International art scene over the last decade conducting several successful shows with regional and international galleries and museums.
He has executed many murals and conducted exhibitions in the USA, Canada and Spain. His monumental painting ‘Cosmic Butterfly’ was exhibited in Essl Museum, Vienna, Austria in 2010.
