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The Kerala connection Mary Beth Heston draws inspiration from Kerala’s heritage

She was completely enchanted by the paintings on the wall and the stories they narrated.

“It was a new cultural idiom that was fascinating. By the time I had finished my work on murals, I was absorbed in the bronze sculptures on Kerala. I was struck by the grandeur and elegance of Padmanabhapuram Palace and that made me begin a study on the palaces in Kochi and erstwhile Travancore that were built between the 16th and 20th century. The book is likely to be released in 2008,” says Mary, Chair, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Asian Studies, College of Charleston in South Carolina.

She discovered that although there were similarities between the kingdoms of erstwhile Kochi and Travancore, there were several differences too that were manifested in the architecture of the palaces and public buildings.

“The palaces were physical manifestations of the notions of kinship, authority and power and they symbolised what the rulers wanted to convey to their subjects. While the architecture was eminently suited to the climate and topography of the regions, it also conformed to the prevailing tradition and culture of those times,” says Mary.

Mary even started learning Malayalam when it was offered as a subject by a university in the United States.

An art historian, Mary was searching for a topic for her project when her guide suggested she do it on the murals in Kerala. “Actually, it was my guide S.L. Huntington who suggested that I do my thesis on the murals as it was then a new area of study in the U.S.,” recalls Mary who has been a frequent visitor to Kerala over the past two decades.

Mary’s journey through the history of Kerala does not stop with the book on palaces. She plans to study the revival of Vastu and the way traditional designs are making a comeback in architecture. The art historian’s tryst with Kerala, which began with the murals of Mattancherry, has come a long way. . “The connection between art and performing art is very clear in Kerala. In fact, it was the bronze sculptures that highlighted the fact. The idea of beauty is culture specific and if you look at the representation of female and male figures, you will find that the physical training and posture of most performers conform to that physique,” explains Mary.Mary’s enchantment with Kerala seems to be never ending.

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