Kerala artist Tom Vattakuzhy’s exhibitions in London and Paris reflect the fragility of the human condition

Tom Vattakuzhy was curious to see how his artwork set in a completely different cultural environment would be viewed at his recent exhibition in Paris. He was indeed in for a surprise.

‘Evening’, work from Under the Changing Sky in Paris | Photo credit: Special arrangement

When a selection of his paintings Under the Changing Sky was installed at La Monnaie de Paris, widespread riots broke out across the city. What began as student protests escalated, leading to arson and looting and throwing the city into chaos.

‘Lessons of Life-4’ by Shifting Ground in London | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Before Tom knew it, he found himself in a supermarket being robbed. “It was terrifying and disorienting, an experience I’m still processing. I’ve spent years exploring uncertainty and instability through painting, but to encounter them so directly in life was something else entirely. It brought a new and unsettling immediacy to concerns I’ve long explored in my work,” he says.

Presented at The Third Space at Asia NOW Paris and curated by Valentina Rosas Saad, the exhibited paintings depict dramatic vistas where the sky is painted in exciting tones. Through the three works on display, Tom explores the idea of ​​the uncertainty of choosing a path while seeking quiet reflection.

“For me, it’s a reminder that paintings don’t remain limited to the circumstances in which they were created. They travel, meet new audiences and sometimes take on meanings that even the artist could not have foreseen,” he says from Paris.

The artist is also exhibiting solo for the first time in London, at AstaGuru, as part of Asian Art 2026. The nine-work collection Shifting Ground, which opened on October 14, deals with uncertainty and the fact that the ground itself can become unstable.

Deeply rooted in the socio-cultural landscape of Kerala, the works question the transitions that shape human lives. “It was particularly exciting to be in London because it was Frieze Week (October 14-18) when the exhibition opened. That’s when the city comes alive with art and some of the best work from around the world is on display. I saw people connect with my work. It’s always encouraging for an artist,” says Tom.

‘Drift’, on display in London | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Tom’s paintings are deceptively layered, forcing viewers to explore what lies beyond. For example, ‘Drift’, a 60×72 inch oil on canvas, exhibited at AstaGuru, takes place in a domestic space with his signature use of light and dark. A seemingly simple painting keeps you coming back to it, and each viewing can shift your perspective a little.

The front porch of the house in the painting shows a child reaching for a pink balloon suspended in the air. A woman in a long pink nightgown looks on with a hint of amusement on her face, while a man sits on a low wall, deep in thought. The roof of the verandah is made up of a political poster, on which is written “Liberation” in bold red letters. An ideology that once promised to transform the world becomes the roof under which a family struggles to survive.

Although Tom’s narratives are based on an Indian context, the questions they raise transcend that context. Social observation and political undercurrents continue to define his works, but the artist says he exercises a certain “self-censorship” today. Tom caused controversy at the sixth Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2025 when Christian groups objected to one of his works, Supper in a Monastery, which they claimed was a distortion of Christ’s Last Supper.

Tom Vattakuzhy | Photo credit: Special arrangement

The painting depicts Mata Hari, a historically documented Dutch dancer and courtesan convicted of spying for Germany during World War I, surrounded by nuns in what could be called a reimagining of the Last Supper. “It wasn’t meant to hurt anyone. My work has always had a humanism at its core. The nuns in the painting are a tragic reflection of those who have been victimized and lived their whole lives in a patriarchal system. And the central figure, Mata Hari, is a representation of grace under fire,” says Tom.

This incident gave him a lot to think about, says the artist. “How do we see religion? Is it just an establishment that exists on the outside? Has it lost its basic essence? Have we lost the space for open dialogues?” he wonders.

Tom sounds restless. Riots of the silent kind.

Where We Stand-2, image from Under the Changing Sky in Paris | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Presented by the Institute of Indian Art, Shifting Ground runs until November at AstaGuru, London. Under the Changing Sky is at The Third Space at Asia NOW Paris until October 24.

Published – 24 Oct 2026 0:05 AM IST