For many, childhood memories are inexplicably linked to nature, especially the native plants and flowers that became the part of many drawing adventures. The sweet smell of blooms like Ilanji, akasha mulla is something no one can ever forget. For artist turned illustrator Midhun George Vechoor also childhood means those local flowers that somehow disappeared from around him as he grew up.
His love for indigenous flowers has become the inspiration for his latest series of art works called Flower Project. The Kanjirapally native started off the illustration project to escape from the hustle and bustle of a busy city life.
Midhun has carefully painted flowers like Krishnakireedam, Thottavadi, Eeswara Mulla, Mandaram and many more to get the shades and even the minutest details as close as the original. It all began when Midhun spotted a Kakkapoo plant near a busy stretch in Bangalore in 2019. “I was mesmerised to see a flower from my memories in the city. I had forgotten about such a flower. Many tell us to enjoy the little things in life. And that was the moment I understood that quote. I started exploring the local flowers that have now become very rare in our state,” says Midhun.
It wasn’t easy for him to find the plants. So, he went back to his roots. “I talked to many elders, including my grandparents and their friends, to know more about these flowers before drawing them. That’s how the Flower Project kicked off in 2020. Apart from colourful illustrations about the flowers, I also compiled small notes about these blooms. My friend and content writer Janaki helped with it,” says Midhun. His project now has details and illustrations of 24 such indigenous flowers.
“I wanted these to reach the elders who held sweet memories with these flowers,” says Midhun. So the artist started making bookmarks and calendars featuring the flowers from the past. “Not just women, men also love to admire flowers. The colour, smell and beauty of each flower as they bloom can soothe a stressed mind. My connection with these plants made me think about my roots. In my experience Kottayam has less exposure to art. So I came back to Kanjirapally to inspire more art aspirants here with the knowledge and experience I gained in my art studies,” says Midhun, who graduated from Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikara. For the past six months, Midhun has been working as an art teacher at Kanjirapally after quitting the advertisement profession.
Midhun initially meant to work on the project for a year. But when the illustrations started gaining attention and comments started pouring in, he came up with a second edition this year. “I communicate through my paintings. For artists, their success depends on the spectators. After seeing the Flower Project, many shared their childhood experiences with me. Many were also worried about the disappearance of most of these plants from our surroundings,” he shares.
A STRUGGLE
It was difficult to trace these plants, says Midhun. He met people from the past two generations to get an idea and details of these plants. Locating them was not an easy task. The plan was to document the long lost flowers and introduce their importance to the present generation. “Today’s children are less educated about the local blooms. They know more about roses and jasmines. I am someone who used to make garlands with Ilanji flowers. So I wanted to cherish these fragile flowers and the beautiful memories associated with them — a first love or a deep friendship,” Midhun says.
@midhun_george_vechoor