DRAVIDAM Bangalore Presents Voyages: The Ancient Maritime Silk Route

DRAVIDAM, Bangalore, in collaboration with curator Jaya Mani, presents Voyages: The Ancient Maritime Silk Route, an exhibition that brings together two celebrated artists, Gunjan Jain and Suresh Muthukulam, in an extraordinary artistic exploration of the ancient maritime connections between coastal South India and Southeast Asia.

Voyages traces its inspiration from the flourishing maritime trade routes that connected the coastal regions of Kalinga (present-day Odisha) and Malabar (Kerala) with Southeast Asia, from as early as the 3rd century CE until the 15th century CE. These were not voyages of commerce alone, but exchanges that shaped civilizations—carrying with them textiles, spices, art, theatres, faiths, rituals, and culinary practices.

The Pallava dynasty, and later the Chola Empire, played pivotal roles in encouraging these maritime voyages. The Cholas in particular established strong cultural links with Southeast Asia, where Hinduism and Buddhism spread and flourished, influencing temples, theatre, crafts, and festivals that continue to echo in Bali, Java, and beyond.

The exhibition draws on this shared heritage—where Kerala’s mural traditions, Odisha’s handwoven textiles, and Southeast Asia’s art forms resonate in motifs, symbols, and techniques that transcend borders.

The Artists & Their Collaboration

Gunjan Jain, a Delhi-based textile artist and designer, is known for her deep engagement with Odisha’s weaving traditions, particularly Ikat. Working closely with master weavers under her label Vriksh Design Studio, her textiles reflect not only craftsmanship but also cultural storytelling.

Suresh Muthukulam, one of Kerala’s most acclaimed mural artists, trained rigorously in the Kerala mural tradition before expanding into contemporary forms on canvas, rice paper, and wood. His practice reflects a seamless blend of traditional discipline and contemporary imagination.

For Voyages, the two artists embarked on a collaborative experiment—Gunjan bringing her handloom traditions, Suresh his mural artistry. Their creative journey began in Kerala in 2022, where the dialogue between mural art and textile weaving first took shape. The theme of maritime voyages emerged as the perfect “anchor” for their shared exploration.

Later, in Odisha, Suresh immersed himself in the world of handlooms, interacting with weavers to understand the complexity of weaving techniques. The collaboration was not without its challenges—barriers of language, moments of creative friction, and the sheer task of translating mural imagery onto textiles. Yet, these very struggles enriched the process, culminating in works that are layered, magical, and infused with discovery.

Their collaborative works—paintings on textile, murals reimagined in weave, sculptures, and independent works on canvas and rice paper—bring alive mythical sea creatures, oceanic journeys, and cultural exchanges across shores.