Agriculture scientist swaps soil for canvas at Kochi art exhibition

Kochi: For decades, Kochi-based artist Lawlita Nair's professional gaze was fixed on the science of soil and the structured hierarchy of the State Agriculture Department. Today, however, her focus is on the fluidity of watercolours and the textures of oil on canvas.

A postgraduate in Agricultural Science from Kerala Agricultural University and a former Deputy Director in the Department of Agriculture, Nair has transitioned from public service to a full-time pursuit of visual art. She is currently one of the featured artists at ‘Kalaadhara 2,’ a one-day art fair held today at the Durbar Hall Ground in Kochi.

While her official career involved administration and grassroots development, Nair maintains that art ran parallel to her profession, albeit in the background.

“Painting was never absent from my life; it was simply waiting for its time,” Nair said regarding her shift in focus post-retirement. Since leaving office, she has experimented with various mediums, including oil, acrylic, and watercolour, participating in nearly 25 exhibitions and camps across Kerala and Bengaluru, including Lalitha Kala Akademi centres.

Her current body of work is heavily influenced by travel and the natural world, subjects that resonate with her background in environmental sciences. Her canvases often feature landscapes, birds, and observational vignettes of daily life. According to Nair, her process is less about adhering to rigid themes and more about documenting “fleeting human moments” and the play of light in familiar scenes.

“Wherever I go, my colours travel with me,” she noted, emphasising how travel has become integral to her artistic method.

Thee ‘Kalaadhara 2’ exhibition at Durbar Hall Ground features Nair alongside a diverse group of contemporary artists. The event serves as a platform for Kochi’s art community to engage with the public, offering a glimpse of the works of both established and emerging names in the local circuit. 

For Nair, the exhibition marks another step in a “second innings” that prioritises observation and patience, which are traits, she said, as essential to art as they are to agriculture.