Kolam Workshops Series with Shanthi Chandrasekar
Join artist, Shanthi Chandrasekar on line for a a series of Three Kolam Workshops: Thursdays at 7:30pm EST
November 5, November 12 and November 19, 2020
$50.00 for the three part series ($20 to register for individual sessions)
REGISTER HERE
Indian women often begin their day and sometimes also end it by drawing Kolams on the ground just outside the front door of their house. These repeating patterns, a type of Tantric Art passed down from generation to generation for centuries, symbolize scientific and philosophical patterns throughout the cosmos. Like Native American sand paintings or Buddhist mandalas, the Kolams are part of the cycle of creation and destruction.
Kolam is an everyday ritual among Tamil women. But on festive days like Pongal, Deepavali or the month of Margazhi (December-January), elaborate Kolams are drawn on the thresholds with special attention. The ground is swept with a broom made from coconut leaf stalks, sprinkled with water and dabbed with cow dung. The Kolam is drawn on this prepared ground using rice flour. Women draw very complicated Kolams during these celebrations, and it is an opportunity to showcase their talents. These days there are competitions held as part of the festivities.
Women draw Kolams, a tradition that is handed down from generation to generation. One of the philosophies behind Kolam drawing is that the dots represent the obstacles in life and if a woman can weave her way through these dots with lines, she will be able to successfully deal with the various situations in her life. The Kolams also symbolize impermanence; they are walked over during the day. They reinforce the concept of the cycle of creation and dissolution. They are created on the ground using natural materials like rice flour and rock powder, making it a very eco-friendly art form. According to the Indian philosophy, feeding a thousand souls is good karma. The use of rice flour to make kolams is a way to feed birds and insects. And when this is done just outside the house, it is a very practical way to keep insects from entering the house.
Apart from all the philosophy attached to this art form, it is also an artistic approach to mathematics. Mathematicians are working on the various math concepts involved in Kolam drawing. The concepts range from symmetry at different levels to permutations and combinations to fractals.
Kolam is one of the many line drawing traditions from around the world. Some Celtic drawings and Chinese knots are very similar to the Kolams. Similar dot – line drawings are found in the different continents. The Sona drawings from Africa are very similar to the Kolams with a slightly different set of rules. The lines of the sand drawings from Vanuatu resemble the Kolams without the dots. Kolam is also known by other names in India, for instance: Rangoli, Alpana and Muggulu.