"Each Kalasam Thee"
Abhinay - The Act Part 1
Acrylic on Paper - 29" x 40"
The Northern Malabar region of Kerala celebrates the worship of Theyyam which in in current form takes it lineage from a few thousand years back. It is a surprising reversal of societal roles with the performers coming from the working class while the devotees from the ruling class. For those few days the working class now as performers are revered as they never would ever be in their normal lives. A well digger becomes an incarnation and is worshipped by a money lender. There is no stage and the whole performance is acted out in the village open. As the dance progresses from one step to the next, a new layer of costume is put on each time. And each step (Kalasam) taken by the performer is a step closer to becoming God.