Kochi: Forty-three years after he left behind a world, he had only just begun to paint, the memory of child artist Edmund Thomas Clint has finally found a sanctuary in Kochi. On Thursday, the Clint Art Gallery was officially opened at the GCDA Gandhinagar Shopping Complex in Kochi, marking the fulfilment of a four-decade-long dream for art lovers and the child prodigy's family.

The event was meant to be inaugurated by industries minister P Rajeev, but he could not attend. The ribbon was cut by Clint's mother, Chinnamma Joseph, in front of GCDA chairman K Chandran Pillai. It was a deeply symbolic moment as the hands that first introduced Clint to colours were the ones to open the doors to his immortalised legacy. 

Edmund Thomas Clint, who was born on May 19, 1976 and passed away in 1983 just short of his seventh birthday, remains a marvel of the art world. In his brief life of 2,522 days, he produced over 25,000 paintings, a feat that continues to baffle critics and artists alike. From intricate temple festivals and elephants to the quiet nuances of rural Kerala, Clint's work displayed a technical maturity that defied his age.

The new facility, established by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) at a cost of approximately ₹1 crore, spans 3,000 square feet. Curated by noted cartoonist and Kochi Biennale co-founder Boney Thomas, the gallery features 101 curated masterpieces selected from the massive collection of Clint's paintings preserved by his mother. Each painting is accompanied by anecdotes and context shared by Chinnamma Joseph, offering a rare glimpse into the boy's creative process.

Clint had passed away after suffering from a prolonged illness involving kidney failure. Despite being mostly confined to his home and later in the hospital due to illness, he produced thousands of drawings and paintings, often using crayons and watercolours.

Speaking at the event, an emotional Chinnamma Joseph shared how she had guarded these works in her Kaloor home since the passing of her husband, MT Joseph. "For 42 years, I have kept these drawings safe in almirahs, fearing they would fade away. Today, I feel a great weight lifted, knowing that my son's works have a home where they can inspire other children," she said. 

When asked which was her favourite painting among the exhibited ones, Chinnama said it was "impossible" for her to pick one. "All the 25000+ works of my son are equally important to me. Though he left us at a small age, his works will now live forever. I am the proudest mother in the world now," Chinnamma said.

Thomas said that it was hard for him to curate the works since selecting 100 paintings from such a large pool was a strenuous task. "I had to sit with Chinnamma for hours to gather information about each of the paintings. Clint's works were born out of his close observation of his surroundings and the life around him. I have tried to categorise his works based on the themes he explored. We will need a much larger facility to accommodate all of his works," Thomas said.

The gallery is designed not just as a museum, but as an activity centre with a mini-theatre and a boutique library to inspire budding young artists. GCDA Chairman K Chandran Pillai, who presided over the function, noted that this gallery is just the first step. Plans are already underway for a larger, international-standard centre in Kakkanad to preserve the remaining thousands of works in a temperature-controlled environment.

"The works exhibited in the art gallery are digitally scanned and printed copies of Clint's original paintings. Now, we also plan to preserve the original works. Also, we intend to seek the tourism department's support to add the new gallery in the tourism map so that more people will be able to know about the place and visit it," Pillai said.

The inauguration was attended by Kochi Mayor VK Minimol, Ernakulam MLA TJ Vinod and several GCDA officials. The gallery is now open to the public, offering Kochi a permanent space to remember the boy who saw more of the world in six years than most do in a lifetime.