In a tryst with tribals, sculptors find a groove

CHENNAI: Sculptor Karthikeyan Pitchaimallian spent three days with an elderly tribal woman of the Toda community at her hamlet in the Nilgiris to study the intricate patterns of her earrings. The traditional style has given way to modern changes, but some still wear the earrings and other parts of the attire. Karthikeyan wanted to sculpt the Nilgiris tribals against the backdrop of their tradition and customs.
A group of 12 artists has been working on sculptures of tribal people of the Nilgiris to be installed at a proposed tribal eco-village near the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode. The team, headed by sculptors Karthikeyan and P V Prabhakaran, has finished more than 60 sculptures of people belonging to various tribes such as Paniya, Kattunayaka, Irula, Kurumbha, Kota, Toda and Oorali. To get the exact feel of their lives, the artists stayed with the tribal people in their homes for more than two weeks.
Started in October 2019, the project is an initiative of the Tamil Nadu forest department and the STR. "Travelling and staying with the tribal people in the hamlets helped us know more about their daily lives and age-old practices. We spent at least two weeks with people belonging to various tribes in their hamlets," said Prabhakaran.
The 15-acre tribal eco-village in Karachikorai village near the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Erode will create awareness among people about the rich tribal lives, their customs, daily lifestyle, food, handicrafts and languages. "We used to sit with the tribal people and talk about their way of living. We even recorded their voices. Initially, they were initially hesitant to interact" he said. Communication wasn’t easy. "Even though they live in the Nilgiris, none spoke proper Tamil. Their language was a mix of Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam," said Karthikeyan.
The life-size sculptures are first made in clay and molded into plaster of paris and then converted into fiber. "Each one is different when it comes to physical features. The Paniya people are shorter so we sculpted them as it is. We had to observe the physical as well as stylistic aspect of each one closely," said Karthikeyan. Even though the team has finished more than 60 sculptures of the 65 planned, a 25ft piece encompassing all tribes in cement is left.
What disappointed the team was the sudden shift in the lives of these hill people due to technological advancements. "Their traditional lifestyle is transforming. Their ornaments and attires have undergone drastic changes. We had to collect some old photographs for the traditional sculptures," he said.