At Mary Samual’s Unbound art exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram, mortals and magicians mingle

Mary Samual with paintings at an art exhibition at the Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud. | Photo credit: Nainu Oommen

In Mumbai-based artist Mary Samual’s debut exhibition ‘Unbound’, magical, mortal and all-encompassing nature interact through 25 paintings. Works inspired by the magical realist graphic novel Chithrakathayil Avante Bhoothangal by artist and writer Jayakrishnan are currently on display at the Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud.

Curated by filmmaker KP Sreekrishnan, the exhibition was not born out of a deliberate attempt to do so while reading the book, the artist said. “I only got to know art during the pandemic. I continued teaching for three years and discovered that I was an artist. That’s when a friend suggested this book to me. And one of the situations in the novel inspired me to paint,” said Ms. Samualová, pointing to one of the artworks depicting a figure sailing through a stormy sea on a boat made of roots.

Mr. Jayakrishnan came across the painting and approached the artist to illustrate a particular scenario in the text that he could not depict. Mrs. Samual completed the task and painted a total of almost six paintings to be exhibited at the 2024 launch of the novel.

However, she could not participate in the program due to personal reasons. But she continued to work on other paintings inspired by the novel. The artist completed 25 works by September last year. “We even planned an exhibition together. But that didn’t materialize either,” she added.

Works exhibited at the ‘Unbound’ art exhibition at Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud. | Photo credit: Nainu Oommen

Accompanied by passages from a Malayalam novel and their English translations, paintings in acrylic and water colors intersperse each other. Shadows, flowers, turbulent waters and the constant conversation between the living and the metaphysical appear as leitmotifs across the showcase.

Ms. Samual, a language professional at an IT firm, said, “These works are my independent interpretation of the novel. The text does not follow a linear narrative structure, so readers have their own interpretation. Mr. Jayakrishnan’s artistic background makes it visually rich and will inspire you to create more works.”

It is non-binding at Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud till September 23. Time: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Published – 18 Sep 2026 20:37 IST