PAINTING

The art of painting in Kerala has a tradition, which goes back to the immediate Post-Aganta Period. The murals of Tirunandikkara (Kanya Kumari Dist) are the specimens of this art in Kerala and they are believed to be of Pandiyan origin. Churches of Kerala also contain some valuable pieces of paintings. The performance of religious rites necessitated the development of a special kind of pictorial art in Kerala known as Kalamezuthu. Raja Ravi Verma is one of the outstanding names in the art of painting in Kerala. 

Paintings in Kerala date at least a thousand years back. The earliest of murals, attributing to the Kerala's tradition are found in a small cave shrine in the southern part of erstwhile Travancore. The murals of the temples at Haripad, Aranmula, Vaikom and Udayapuram are exquisite specimens of artistic excellence. The pinnacle of achievements in pictorial art is visible on the walls of the shrine at Sree Padmanabhaswami temple, Thiruvananthapurm, executed in the true native style. 

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906)

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was born in Kilimanoor Palace as the son of Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad. At the age of seven years he started drawing on the palace walls using charcoal. His uncle Raja Raja Varma noticed the talent of the child and gave preliminary lessons on painting. At the age of 14, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja took him to Travancore Palace and the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu taught him water painting. After 3 years Theodor Jenson, a British painter taught him oil painting. Most of his paintings are based on Hindu epic stories and characters. In 1873 he won the First Prize at the Madras Painting Exhibition. He became a world famous Indian painter after winning in 1873 Vienna Exhibition

Painting in oil colour was popularised in Kerala by Raja Ravivarma. His paintings were mostly scenes and figures of mythological interest, remarkable for their richness of tone. Even during his lifetime, Ravivarma was famous in the art circles of the World. His paintings are exhibited at the Sree chitra art gallery in Thiruvananthapuram, Baroda and Mysore Museums. Today a number of talented painters like Madhava menon, K.C.S Panikar and M.V Devan have enriched the scene with their contributions.

MURALS

Kerala holds the second place, with a large collection of archeologically important mural sites in India. Evolved as a compliment to her unique architectural style, these wall paintings are characterized by their liner accuracy, the adherence to color symbolism elaborate ornamentations and sensitive portrayal of emotions.

The tradition of painting on walls began in Kerala with the pre-historic rock paintings found in the Anjanad valley of Idukki district. Archaeologists presume that these paintings belong to different periods from upper Paleolithic period to early historic period. Rock engravings dating to the Mesolithic period have also been discovered in two regions of Kerala, at Edakkal in Wayanad and at Perimkadavila in Thiruvanathapuram district. The oldest murals in Kerala were discovered in the rock cut cave temple of Thiruvandikkara, which is now in the Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu.

The subjects derived from religious texts were highly stylized pictures of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, not a fanciful representation but drawn from the description in the invocatory verses or 'dyana slokas'. Flora and fauna and other aspects of nature were pictured as backdrops, in highly stylized manners.

The murals of Kanthaloor Temple in Thiruvananthapuram (13th Century), Pisharikavu and Kaliliampath in Kozhikode distict (14th Century) are the oldest temple frescoes of Kerala. Representing this prolific period of mural arts (14th and 16th centuries A.D), are the Ramayana murals of Mattanchery palace, the paintings in the Chemmanthitta Siva Temple, Kudamaloor and Thodeekkalam in Kannur district. The wall paintings at Panayannarkavu, Thichakrapuram, Kottakkal, Padmanabhapuram and Krishnapuram palaces and those in the inner chambers of Mattanchery palace, represent a much later period in the evolution of medieval mural tradition.

SCULPTURE

India cradled a great civilization, which created not only sublimely sculptured temples but exquisite handicrafts. Kerala, the land of infinite charm and infectious gaiety, is also the homeland of a host of handicrafts renowned the world over for their exquisite variety and pristine quality. Kerala, a state of exurbant fertility in the southwest of India, contributed its own genius, its own vibrant rhythm to this Indian artistic tradition. Be it a miniature of Palm leaf, a mythological figure, an intricate inlay work or an exquisite sculpture, Kerala handicrafts are the finest manifestations of man's creativity and craftsmanship perfected through centuries of supreme dedication. 

The sculptures in ancient Kerala were designed only as a decorative element of an architectural scheme and were therefore determined by the canons and exigencies of the architectural settings of buildings. Within these limitations there was a conscious artistic striving for creative expression in plastic arts, which reflect the religious zeal of the people and their taste for decoration and embellishment.

The early sculptors were artists; not merely carvers and they always created something new and original in stone. In Kerala, the earliest specimen of sculptures in stone are the three figures found in the cave temple at Kaviyoor, which belongs to the eighth century A.D. the rock-cut relief's of Vizhinjam, belong to the same period, bearing a closer resemblance to later pallava work. The ancient Vishnu temple at Thrikkodithanam in Changanassery has two 'vyali' panels with sculptures belonging to the 11th century, depicting two distinct types of ancient dances.

Kudaikuthu (umbrelladance) and kudamkuthu (potdance) are visible. Two panels depicting dancing figures presumed to belong to the 12th century A.D and two figures of dwara palakas carved in black granite are found in the ancient temples at Thiruvananthapuram. The exquisite image of Vishnu at Guruvayoor temple and at The Sree Padmanabha Swami temple reveals the best traditions of stone sculpture in the state.

HANDICRAFTS 

The Handicrafts of Kerala, noted for their uniqueness in style, perfection of form and elegance of design form an invaluable part of the life stream of Kerala culture. The craftsmen of Kerala have made the most skillful use of the raw materials without sacrificing the requirements of the aesthetics and thus made their rich contribution to the life of the community.

By Bell Metal casting the craftsmen of Kerala produced a variety of images of gods and goddesses. Aranmula Metal Mirror deserves special mention in the bell metal industry of Kerala. The mirror is made of an alloy consisting of ten parts of copper and 5.50 parts of tin. It is oval in shape and 6 inches in size and .50 inch thick and has a tail like handle by which it is to be held. The artisans of Aranmula, who have practiced this art all these years, have kept the method as the family secret.

Koftgari works, Wood Carving, Marquetry in wood, Ivory and Buffalo horn Carving, Screw Pine mat Making, Bamboo Reed Weaving, Palmyra Leaf Weaving, Kora Grass Mat Making, Rattan or Cane work, Embroidery and Lace Making, Lapidary work, Granite carving, Coconut shell carving, Lacquer work, Cotton map making, Toys and Dolls, Jewellery, coir Products, Musical instruments manufacturing are also some of the important handicraft making activities of Kerala.