Theyyam, the local folk art of North Malabar, had piqued my interest ever since I moved to south India. A mélange of dance, music, face painting, and traditional worship, I took it upon myself to explore these and many other facets of Theyyam this spring. The journey unravelled more than just the art form; it gave me a keyhole view to a small chapter in the lives of the artists themselves. Kannur was the place where one art form, photography, met another, Theyyam.
For the makeup, the artists use locally available, natural coloring materials like turmeric, vermillion, kumkum (processed turmeric), quick lime and rice powder. The make-up takes several hours to complete and can involve elaborate painting on the face with a coconut leaf stem.