Still life in Kerala: Portraits by Punaloor Rajan
Curated By: Mexy Xavier
1912-1999
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
One of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s most famous novels is Chemmeen (1956), which examines the motif of chastity based on a myth among the fishing community that a fisherman’s safety at sea is linked to his wife’s fidelity. In 1976, Thakazhi, who also wrote about the atrocities committed in the name of caste, had visited Moscow while Rajan was a student there. The photographer’s Spanish roommate Adelso, who had read a translation of Chemmeen in his native language, was ecstatic when he heard that the Malayalam writer was in Moscow. Rajan took a picture of an overjoyed Adelso with Thakazhi
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
One of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s most famous novels is Chemmeen (1956), which examines the motif of chastity based on a myth among the fishing community that a fisherman’s safety at sea is linked to his wife’s fidelity. In 1976, Thakazhi, who also wrote about the atrocities committed in the name of caste, had visited Moscow while Rajan was a student there. The photographer’s Spanish roommate Adelso, who had read a translation of Chemmeen in his native language, was ecstatic when he heard that the Malayalam writer was in Moscow. Rajan took a picture of an overjoyed Adelso with Thakazhi
