Memory takes shape in charcoal and wood in Mahalakshmi Kannappan’s show in Hyderabad

At Srishti Art Gallery in Hyderabad, a series of layered, abstract sculptural works in charcoal and wood take centre stage against striking crimson wall. In the play of light and shadow, artist Mahalakshmi Kannappan explores themes of migration, impermanence, and uncertainty — ideas that speak to identity and the emotional transitions that shape us.

Mahalakshmi Kannappan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The show, Bloody Dark Body, features a colour palette designed by architect Sona Reddy, with a curatorial note by Bose Krishnamachari, co-founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Bose’s text decodes the metaphorical richness of Mahalakshmi’s layered forms. “‘The rugged, rough edges on the works are the negatives — the fractures that happen in anyone’s life. And then comes calm, healing, and restoration. That’s what makes us who we are,’” adds Lakshmi Nambiar, founder of Srishti Art Gallery.

By Mahalakshmi Kannappan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The exhibition’s title, coined by Bose, carries a layered symbolism. ‘Body’ refers both to the physical human form and to the sculptural body of work. ‘Dark’ alludes to the use of graphite and charcoal, as well as to the emotional darkness we encounter in moments of struggle. ‘Bloody’ represents the visceral — the pulse of life that runs through us all.

Coimbatore-born and Singapore-based, Mahalakshmi first exhibited at Srishti in 2024 as part of the group show Triloka. “My practice is about fragility, memory, and endurance — and how to express these ideas through material transformation,” she says. Living away from India for the past 15 years, her work bridges memories from home with those formed abroad. “There are some memories we’d like to forget, and some we choose to carry forever,” she reflects.

By Mahalakshmi Kannappan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In her search for material expression, Mahalakshmi experimented with turmeric and cotton thread for over a year before finding her voice in powdered charcoal. “Charcoal has a special character,” she says. “It can be held together, but also smudged and dispersed into the air.” The duality of the medium — fragile yet strong — echoes her central theme of endurance through instability.

Working with waterproof birch plywood sourced from India, the artist begins by pouring a mix of ground charcoal and glue onto wood, letting it dry before breaking and reshaping the sheets. “I’m always thinking about how much to break, how much to keep — until it evolves into a form,” she explains.

By Mahalakshmi Kannappan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

A former graphic designer drawn to monotone, Mahalakshmi spent two months at Sudhakar Chippa’s Banyan Art Studio, where the works for Bloody Dark Body took shape. “The themes shift as I work,” she says. “What I start with is rarely what remains. The process decides the final form.”

Bloody Dark Body, an exhibition of abstract works by Mahalakshmi Kannappan is on view at Srishti Art Gallery till November 2