Artist

Mahesh K.S.

Bengaluru, India

Mahesh K.S. was born in Kanjirappally, Kottayam District, Kerala and completed his BFA in Painting from the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara, graduating with first rank in Painting from the University of Kerala in 2018. Later that year, he joined the Department of Graphic Arts (Printmaking) at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. In 2019-20, he was awarded the K. Karunakaran Memorial Scholarship for Art Students by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. He has participated in various group exhibitions in and outside Kerala and currently lives and works in Bangalore.

The Troupe

Mahesh K.S.’ ambitious installation, reimagines the humble pedestal fan as part of a kinetic dance ensemble, consciously embracing the term ‘troupe’ not for its military associations but for its evocation of dancers in synchronised motion. Adding another layer of tension is a carefully crafted musical score that builds suspense, priming viewers for the fans’ unexpected performance. At the heart is Mahesh’s choice to use technology as a creative tool, crafting each fan’s rhythmic, almost humanoid movement as a delicate interplay between art and technology. Mahesh’s work challenges us to see machines not as remote or mechanical but as collaborators with expressive potential that can deepen our capacity to see, to feel, and to connect.