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Three Steps of Land

Past exhibition
14 September - 2 October 2024
  • Works
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Onam, Kerala's state festival, celebrates King Mahabali, a powerful, but overconfident emperor who was banished to the underworld for the threat he posed to the gods. Once a year, like Persephone of Greek Mythology, Mahabali is said to return, bringing joy and prosperity with him. In the spirit of Mahabali's return, Rajiv Menon Contemporary presents an exhibition bringing the creativity and ingenuity of Kerala to Los Angeles.

As any Keralite can tell you, there's no place on Earth like God's Own Country. The region's landscapes and atmosphere are a rich aesthetic experience in their own right. Yet even in its geographic and cultural singularity, Kerala has also been a global crossroads; as a key site in the Indian Ocean's trading routes, Kerala has been the center of the world at many times in history.

Kerala is increasingly a major hub of contemporary art in South Asia, with both local perspective and global significance. This exhibition articulates the rise of a major aesthetic force in the global art landscape. Beyond just figurative and landscape work that presents the region in a literal way, Three Steps of Land evokes the spirit of the region, finding new emotional and aesthetic touchpoints that reveal the universal appeal of regional specificity.

Featured artists: Abul Hisham, Devi Seetharam, Lakshmi Madhavan, Maya Varadaraj, Melissa Joseph, Nibha Akireddy, Nityan Unnikrishnan, Par Nair, Saju Kunhan, Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, Surendran Nair
  • Abul Hisham, Grandmother and Granddaughter , 2023
    Abul Hisham
    Grandmother and Granddaughter , 2023
    Acrylic on board
    33.5 x 39 cm
    13.2 x 15.4 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Abul Hisham, Figure with forehead Garland, 2022
    Abul Hisham
    Figure with forehead Garland, 2022
    Acrylic on plywood
    20 x 21 cm
    7.9 x 8.2 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Abul Hisham, Elephant with a broken tusk, 2022
    Abul Hisham
    Elephant with a broken tusk, 2022
    Acrylic on plywood and engraving on rusted metal
    Plywood - 39 x 30 cm; 15.4 x 11.8 in
    Metal piece - 52 x 23 cm; 20.5 x 9 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Devi Seetharam, Mulla Poov (Jasmine) IX
    Devi Seetharam
    Mulla Poov (Jasmine) IX
    Acrylic on Canvas
    60 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Devi Seetharam, Mulla Poov (Jasmine) X, 2024
    Devi Seetharam
    Mulla Poov (Jasmine) X, 2024
    Acrylic on Canvas
    60 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Lakshmi Madhavan, Labored Landscape I, 2024
    Lakshmi Madhavan
    Labored Landscape I, 2024
    Kasavu, red & black threads, wood, shuttle, kasavu spool
    49 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Lakshmi Madhavan, Labored Landscape II, 2024
    Lakshmi Madhavan
    Labored Landscape II, 2024
    Kasavu, red & black threads, wood, cloth roller
    49 inches x 25 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Lakshmi Madhavan, Labored Landscape III, 2024
    Lakshmi Madhavan
    Labored Landscape III, 2024
    Kasavu, red & black threads, wood, laterite soil
    49 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Maya Varadaraj, Pappa in Pink , 2022
    Maya Varadaraj
    Pappa in Pink , 2022
    Acrylic on canvas
    36 x 24 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Maya Varadaraj, Achi, Dark in a Striped Blouse, 2023
    Maya Varadaraj
    Achi, Dark in a Striped Blouse, 2023
    Acrylic on Linen
    64 x 64 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Melissa Joseph, Onam Sadya at night, 2024
    Melissa Joseph
    Onam Sadya at night, 2024
    needle felted wool on industrial felt
    21 x 25 inches (unframed)
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Nibha Akireddy, జడల రాజ్యం (rule of braids), 2024
    Nibha Akireddy
    జడల రాజ్యం (rule of braids), 2024
    Oil on Canvas
    36 x 48 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Nibha Akireddy, Fight Sequence (Diptych), 2024
    Nibha Akireddy
    Fight Sequence (Diptych), 2024
    Oil on canvas
    18 x 45 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Nityan Unnikrishnan, Chorus, 2021
    Nityan Unnikrishnan
    Chorus, 2021
    Acrylic on khadi
    33 x 59 1/2 in
    83.8 x 151.1 cm
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Par Nair, Her songs were soft 4, 2023
    Par Nair
    Her songs were soft 4, 2023
    Oil on canvas
    30 x 40 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Saju Kunhan, Banglavukunnu-Thookkuparamb Road #2, 2023
    Saju Kunhan
    Banglavukunnu-Thookkuparamb Road #2, 2023
    Image Transfer, Charcoal and Varnish on Teak Wood
    9 x 5 feet
    108 x 60 inches
    Set of 6 panels
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, Sea Mother, 2024
    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran
    Sea Mother, 2024
    Oil On Canvas
    41 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, Thank you, 2024
    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran
    Thank you, 2024
    Oil On Canvas
    41 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, Collector - 1 , 2024
    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran
    Collector - 1 , 2024
    Oil On Canvas
    41 inches x 30 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, Mother Song, 2024
    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran
    Mother Song, 2024
    Oil on Canvas
    160 x 240 centimeters
    63 x 94.48 inches
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran, This is not mother land, 2024
    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran
    This is not mother land, 2024
    Oil On Canvas
    81.10 x 53.93 inches
    206 x 137 centimeter
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Surendran Nair, A Rhino's left turn, 2022
    Surendran Nair
    A Rhino's left turn, 2022
    Watercolor on Paper
    30 x 22 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist
  • Surendran Nair, Figure Lady, 2022
    Surendran Nair
    Figure Lady, 2022
    Watercolor on Paper
    30 x 22 in
    Courtesy of Rajiv Menon Contemporary
    Copyright The Artist

Related artists

  • Nibha Akireddy

    Nibha Akireddy

  • Abul Hisham

  • Sivasubramaniam Kajendran

    Sivasubramaniam Kajendran

  • Lakshmi Madhavan

  • Surendran Nair

  • Nityan Unnikrishnan

  • Maya Varadaraj

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