Conflict on canvas

Portrayal of the Malabar riots that went on till 1921, is all what Busoori Althousi, a 23-year-old artist hailing from Kozhikode, has tried to depict in his third exhibition at Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery.

The artwork features 1921 Malabar under the British rule and the catastrophes the people underwent then. Ten pictures of the Malabar riots are put up in a linear space, which provides a deeper insight into the events that took place in 1921. His
previous exhibitions were held in Malappuram and Bengaluru.

“Getting information about the 1921 Malabar riots was a major challenge,” said Busoori. “I visited a lot of people who could pass on the knowledge about the riots to me. My major aim indeed was to let people know how Malabar was then and how it evolved into its contemporary form,” he further said.

Busoori has been an artist from the age of four. He walked into the world of canvases and painted his way through, and is pushing himself to do more and more exhibitions to put out different themes in front of his viewers. Busoori is now working as a creative designer and freelance artist in Kozhikode. After completing his degree in Bsc. Graphics and Animation from the University of Mysore, he seriously started working on developing his talents in art, especially painting.

The exhibition is a visual spectacle for the audience and at the same time, it’s also a look into the history of Malabar.