Talking Points: The Ancient Art of Drawing Kolam
How can drawing bring people together?
A part of South Indian culture, kolams are decorative patterns drawn by hand using rice flour on the ground, thought to bring prosperity to the homes they are drawn outside of. Made each morning, their repeated lines and shapes grow across the surface as the person making them moves around the drawing. Over time, kolams are walked over, provide food for small animals and eventually disappear.
Watch the video below and use the following questions to explore kolams and the way they are made.
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‘Every morning at sunrise all across Southern India women practice the ancient art of drawing kolam on the thresholds of their properties. A physical form of prayer and symbol of protection, a daily exercise, and a moment of intense concentration and meditation, drawing kolam is an important household ritual that has a lot more to it than may first meet the eye.
Two very different women living in Chennai explain their shared passion for kolam, and their involvement in the local kolam competition.’ – BBC
Questions to Ask Children
What do you like/dislike about kolam drawings?
Do they remind you of anything?
What are some of the rituals do you take part in every morning?
This Talking Points Is Used In...
using sketchbooks to make visual notes
Show me what you see
