Coming from Ottapalam in Kerala, Gokul Kumar creates works of art

using banana fibre. Though the procedure is tedious and time-consuming,

the end product is entirely natural, says the artist. By Anand Holla

Speak of banana and almost nobody would associate the fruit with art of any sort. For Gokul Kumar though, it can call to mind only one thing – banana fibre art.

Growing up in Ottapalam township of Palakkad district in Kerala, India, Kumar would make little necklaces and chains out of coconut fibre and rice fibre. “I liked what I was able to make using plant fibre and my imagination,” says the self-taught artist, “Soon I started making portraits of Hindu Gods and Goddesses out of fibre.”

Around a decade ago, Kumar got excited about banana tree fibre because of the options it offered. “Unlike the greyish black and white colours that other fibres were available in, banana fibres come in many colours like black, white, golden yellow, and brown, and that too, in varying shades,” he says, adding that he would make art based on the pictures people would give him.

Three years back, when Kumar moved to Doha, he got busy with work and couldn’t manage time to pursue his craft. “Everywhere in Doha, I would see pictures and posters of HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and later, HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. I felt that the first works that I make should be of them,” he says.

So, earlier this year, when Kumar went home, he managed to get some banana fibre along. To collect enough fibre for creating a few portraits, Kumar must do the rounds of around 30 banana fields. “Once the plant bears bananas, the main stem, also called the pseudo stem, is often discarded. But when these stems are split into strips, we get fibre that can be used to make art,” Kumar says.

Not just art, banana fibre is widely used for making coarse woven fabrics like sacks, sand bags, ropes, tents, canvas, luggage, gunny bags and covers.

The 32-year-old credits his father Ramakrishnan and mother Sarojini for always encouraging him. “Dad would bring me a whole bunch of banana tree fibre after frequenting several fields. Black and brown-coloured ones are especially hard to find.”

That’s important for Kumar because he refuses to use paint or any other medium to colour his frame. He feels that by doing so, he would make his work lose its organic nature and uniqueness. “I want to retain the texture, feel, and natural colour of the fibre instead of dyeing it or using paint around it, otherwise it would look a lot like painting.”

It took Kumar two months to complete the portrait of HH the Father Emir, and then two more months to make that of HH the Emir. “I really wish I could gift them these two portraits,” says Kumar, “Not only would it make me really happy, but it also would be nice to present these gifts from someone who has had the opportunity to come from India and work here, in their country.”

Talking of the process, Kumar makes it sound simpler than the arduous, time-consuming task that it is. “I start off by coating black paint on plywood, and then I draw the outline of the portrait with a pencil. I then cut banana fibre into appropriate pieces and use glue to stick every tiny piece,” he says.

While sceneries are a lot easier to create, portraits are the toughest, says Kumar. “When you create a face, you have to take care of every detail and you can’t afford to not capture the emotion or the personality,” he points out.

Initially, Kumar had a torrid time accommodating his art into his schedule. Of late though, he works on it mostly in his room where he stays with three others.

“Now I have decided to use my time at home to work on these pieces. If somebody approaches me with requests for artworks, I would gladly take them up,” he says, “I won’t let myself get disconnected with my art again.”