The colorful mural paintings and bamboo art of G. Azhicode attracted many visitors to his exhibition stand. And he is probably the only one here who made money before the awards were announced. One of his bamboo table lamps is now in the possession of one lucky visitor to the IDM.
But he is really here to help the rural poor people in Kerala who are dependent on bamboo for their livelihoods. His project aims to teach aspiring artists the skill of mural painting using natural colors, and help them identify markets and buyers. “My goal is really to make poor people into artists,” he says. “There is high demand among tourists for traditional art created with natural colors.”
His project especially targets dalit and scheduled caste communities to increase their income through increasing bamboo plantation and by improving their skills to produce new and diverse bamboo products.
