A wall work: a row of empty white shirts hanging above a painted field of ripe wheat, from which a single pair of legs in thick woollen socks rises without a body.

Inheritance of the Hand

Inheritance of the Hand by Mohammad Riyaz and Aman Kumar Bavariya uses manjarpat fabric to explore colonial resistance, farmer struggles, and memory. This collaboration for Students’ Biennale Kochi 2024 turns raw muslin into a powerful canvas of history and dignity

Published 28 December 2025

This has finished

On view
12 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Times
10AM to 6PM (Mon to Sunday) Till March 31st, 2026
Part of
Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025–26

Where

Arthshila Kochi

Art gallery · 1/298, Parade Road, Fort Kochi

Two artists. One fabric. A whole history.

Exhibition view of 'Inheritance of the Hand' at Arthshila Kochi.
'Inheritance of the Hand' at Arthshila Kochi, an art gallery and cultural space on Parade Road, Fort Kochi.

Artists

Mohammad Riyaz (Government College of Fine Arts, Gwalior) and Aman Kumar Bavariya (Government College of Fine Arts, Jabalpur)

Medium

Variable (textiles, painting, tailoring)

Exhibition view of 'Inheritance of the Hand' at Arthshila Kochi.
'Inheritance of the Hand' at Arthshila Kochi, an art gallery and cultural space on Parade Road, Fort Kochi.

About

Riyaz and Aman work on manjarpat—raw muslin cloth that once symbolised colonial resistance and labour struggles. Today, this humble fabric becomes their canvas for memory and meaning.

Riyaz stitches and paints, telling stories of Indian farmers. His layered garments speak of land struggles, dignity, and the weight carried by rural communities. Aman weaves tales from his grandmother's memories, exploring generational loss through thread and pigment.

Their collaboration feels like two rivers meeting—different currents, same ocean.