Kochi-Muziris Biennale honouring Edmond Thomas Clint

Kerala’s art genius Edmund Thomas Clint is ready to join the world’s top practitioners of contemporary art posthumously to rekindle the spirit of drawing and painting in the younger generation.

The 2nd Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) will showcase an exhibition of select works of Clint at its specially organised children’s segment that will open on December 16. Edmond Thomas Clint, talented child artist, passed away in 1983 at the age of seven. He had done more than 25,000 paintings in his short life time.   The exhibition that showcases sixty paintings done by Clint will be included as a part of the inaugural ceremony of Children’s biennale.

The 108-day KMB begins on December 12, featuring 94 artists from India and 30 other countries. The exhibition and children’s biennale that begins on Dec 16 at Cosmopolitan Cult, the art gallery at Mattanchery, Kochi, Kerala will be inaugurated by Clint’s parents - M D Joseph and Chinnamma Joseph. Riyas Komu, the program director of biennale said that Clint’s works are a significant tool to understand the importance of involving children in the world of contemporary art.

The works of Clint for the exhibition have been selected by a biennale team led by Komu from over 6,000 shortlisted drawings. Clint’s parents, who live in Kochi, treasure a near-total collection of the prodigy’s works. The exhibition will showcase high-quality prints of the original works by Clint.

According to Komu, Clint’s works becoming the centerpiece of the Children’s Biennale is a small step in protecting his legacy. “We have done very little to enliven his reputation. We have kept him closed in a cupboard for a long time,” he added. “Clint received a world of understanding for himself in his short life; it is visible in his works. While he drew Goliath, he also sketched Arjuna and Bhima. He also drew sunrise.”