“On Painted Ground”, Marg Art Magazine

"On Painted Ground", the latest issue of Marg Magazine devoted to India’s floor painting traditions, is now out. I am delighted to have contributed an article on Kerala’s ephemeral art of kalamezhuttu, alongside contributions by Aurogeeta Das (muggu), Vijaya Nagarajan (kolam), Stephen Huyler (chita), Rituparna Basu (alpona), Jyoti Bhatt (mandana), John H. Bowles (digna), and Raja Mohanty (chita).

This issue is especially meaningful to me: Marg was the journal I subscribed to during my years studying in Kerala. It shaped my earliest understanding of Indian art, and I have long dreamed of seeing these ephemeral arts—so often overlooked—receive the attention they deserve. To witness them celebrated in this way, and to contribute my own voice, is profoundly important to me. Founded in 1946 by Mulk Raj Anand, Marg remains India’s oldest and most respected art journal—a pathway that has guided generations of readers and will continue to inspire those to come.