Raja Ravi Varma Centre of Excellence for Visual Arts Mavelikara

05/05/2026

Marlene Dumas (born 3 August 1953) is a South African-born artist and painter who has lived and worked in the Netherlands since 1976. She is widely considered one of the most influential painters of the 21st century, known for her psychologically charged figurative works that explore the human condition. Her art often addresses complex themes such as identity, sexuality, race, and political oppression, frequently drawing from an extensive archive of "second-hand" images from mass media and personal photographs.

21/04/2026

Rajan Krishnan: The Alchemist of Earth
Rajan Krishnan (1967–2016) was a visionary Malayali artist who transformed the landscape of contemporary Indian art. Originally trained in Economics, he later mastered painting at M.S. University, Baroda. His work is celebrated for its monumental scale and its deep, often painful, conversation with the environment.

Krishnan’s work evolved from "New Landscapes"—vibrant depictions of Kerala's greenery—to the somber, monochromatic series Substances of Earth. His subject matter focused on the human-nature conflict, particularly how we treat the planet as a resource (or "Ore") rather than a home.

He was a pioneer in collaborative art. His masterpiece, ORE, involved 158 people—from potters to children—hand-molding over a million clay figurines. This transition from individual painting to massive, communal sculpture highlighted his belief that the "tragedy and resilience" of the earth is a shared human experience. His legacy remains a powerful critique of industrial greed and a tribute to the endurance of the soil.

20/04/2026

Artist Talk Screening
**Gauri Gill** (born 1970)
is a distinguished contemporary Indian photographer renowned for her long-term, collaborative approach to capturing marginalized communities. Her work often blurs the line between documentary and fine art, moving beyond mere observation to engage deeply with her subjects.
She is most famous for her series "Notes from the Desert,"a multi-decade archive of life in rural Rajasthan. Another landmark project,
"Acts of Appearance,"features indigenous artists in Maharashtra wearing handmade masks to play out fictional and everyday scenarios. Through her lens, Gill explores themes of memory, identity, and resilience, consistently emphasizing the agency and dignity of those she photographs.

17/04/2026

Screening of Artist Talk
William Kentridge – How We Make Sense of the World..

10/04/2026

Director Seema Jerome, AO Rajashree, and our faculty team visited the newly allotted land for the Raja Ravi Varma Centre of Excellence for Visual Arts, Mavelikara.
New beginnings ahead!

10/04/2026

06/03/2026

Confronting De-skilling
Today’s session with art students by Chandran T. V. explored the value of discipline, consistent practice, and the role of skill in shaping meaningful artistic practice.

30/10/2025

A weekly presentation session to engage, discover, connect, inquire, inspire, and respond — exploring the world through the artist’s lens.🔎