History is never neutral. Neither is education.
Artist
Ejum Riba (Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad)
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Venue
Artshila, Near Parade Ground
This beautiful Kochi Biennale Venue presented by Arthshila is part of their multi-art curations projects across India.
Address: Opposite Parade Ground, Next to entrance of Lily Street
Timings
10AM to 6PM (Mon to Sunday)
Till March 31st, 2026
About
Ejum Riba's two paintings tackle big questions through deeply personal lenses. Simulation examines how certain educational systems work to erase Indigenous cultures and local knowledge. It's a meditation on indoctrination—and what gets lost when we homogenise young minds.
Abor Wars reaches further back, to the conflicts between the British Raj and the Adi people of Northeast India (1858-1912). But Ejum complicates the resistance narrative through his own grandfather's complicated admiration for certain British officials. History, he shows us, is rarely black and white.
Kochi Biennale 2025
The Students' Biennale, running alongside the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, has always been a space where tomorrow's artistic giants take their first bold leaps. This year's edition brings together young artists from art schools across India—each with stories that demand to be heard.
