Bay
Island Driftwood Museum
A
Museum to display a
unique collection of
superior quality driftwood
articles of very high
artistic value, prepared
through a rate and innovative
modern art form, is
functioning at the scenic
village of Kumarakom.
A Visitor would find
there a huge collection
of root sculptures of
various shapes and designs.
During
her professional tenure
in the Andaman &
Nicobar archipelago,
a dynamic lady school
teacher used to pick
up pieces of driftwood
deposited by the sea
in the shores, comprising
twisted tree trunks,
stumps, roots etc. which
had potential for transformation
to sculptures with marginal
efforts, thanks to the
Bay of Bengal prune
to frequent cyclones
that make the sea turbulent
and unpredictable.
Every
cyclone brought back
many things to the shore
as it washes away from
it. Some of these wood
pieces and roots were
centuries old, and having
drifted across the seas
they became more resilient.
Having traversed vast
distances, what is left
of a tree is its sturdiest
part which has weathered
much inclemency.
The
picked up pieces were
cleansed, dead parts
removed, scraped and
trimmed to conform to
the shape she had in
mind. In the course
of the process, it so
happened, the Nature?s
original designs could
come out more forcefully,
evocatively and permanently.
Many of these pieces
closely resemble birds,
animals, reptiles, amphibians
and fishes. Shaping,
scraping, polishing,
finishing and preserving
are done with fierce
dedication.
The
admirers and connoisseurs
of this rare and innovative
form of art frequent
the Bay Island Driftwood
Museum. The student
community finds the
art form adopted in
the preparation of the
exhibits in the museum
interesting and educative
as the museum inculcates
in them the qualities
of imagination, creativity,
originality and initiation
to produce useful articles
out of materials normally
considered waste.
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