Kannur’s vibrant cultural past finds meaning in this 38-year-old’s massive artwork at airport terminal

Assan’s artwork captures Kannur’s history since the time it was under Portuguese occupation. (Source: Vishnu Varma)

Assan, assisted by a team of five friends, has painted on canvas using acrylic colours portraying Kannur’s famed handloom and coir industries, Thalassery’s bakery culture, the war waged by Kunjali Marakkar against the Portuguese, the historical Arackal family, the fearless Pazhassi Raja and the Satyagraha during the freedom movement.

‘I had submitted a small artwork showing Kerala’s dance rituals such as theyyam, kathakali, oppana in 2016 when a trial flight landed at Kannur airport. It got a lot of appreciation from people at KIAL. It became a subject of discussion at their meetings. So I was called again and contracted to do a bigger one that features prominently at the departure terminal of the airport,’ says Assan.

Assan had to complete the entire artwork within a month ahead of the formal inauguration on December 9. (Source: Vishnu Varma)

But the deadline that he was given wasn’t easy. He had to complete the entire artwork within a month ahead of the formal inauguration on December 9. ‘It was very challenging. I, along with my friends, would work day and night. We started on November 3 and finished it on December 7. We would work from 5:30 am till 2 in the night. We hardly slept for 3 hours a day. But I’m very happy that I could finish it in time. Also, we didn’t compromise on quality at all,’ he says.

Assan is thankful to the staff of KIAL for giving him space at the terminal where he spent the last one month creating his artwork. He feels glad that every time a traveller walks into the terminal and sees his painting, he helps them connect with Kannur and its vibrant past.