Description

This mandala artwork is titled 'Pacha' and is an attempt to represent the work of artisans who put their heart & soul into making these head-gears irl. Hand-drawn on Procreate. Pacha (green) is one of the characters (vesham) played in Kathakali (classical dance form of Kerala, India). ‘Katha-kali’ translates to ‘story-play’ and the dance form narrates a story in each performance. Pacha represents the noble, pious and heroic character in the story & is symbolic of goodness and truth. The head-gear worn by the artists are called ‘Kiritam/Kireedam’ and are usually carved out of wood with beautiful designs & patterns. They are then decorated with vibrant colours and ornaments before being ready for use. These head-gears are often held in high-esteem by the artists/performers. Kathakali is characterised by distinct facial makeup, facial expressions, different costume (for each character) and beautiful dance movements. Kathakali is symbolic of India’s rich cultural heritage.