CHENNAI: If you could reimagine a heritage building in Chennai, what colour would you paint it? Madras Inherited wants to know, which is why it has launched a series of free downloadable colouring sheets, where it works with artists to create black and white outlines of localities in the city, blending both reality and imagination.
“The idea came to us during the lockdown. It was just a way to let people explore the city in a different way,” says Ashmitha Athreya, an architect and head of operations at Madras Inherited, which also conducts regular heritage walks around the city. “The colouring sheets have information in English and Tamil about the buildings. Some people sent us the sheets they had coloured in. It’s fascinating to see different perspectives of a building.” She adds that they are now putting together colouring sheets with stained glass work as seen in heritage structures across the city, especially the churches.”
“I set the heritage structures against fantastical backdrops to make it more fun,” says artist Vinu PK, who created the colouring sheets.
The group has also collaborated with artist Solaiappan Ramaswamy on a series called ‘Tracing Legacies’, which explains how certain streets and localities of Chennai got their names. Like for instance, Purusawalkam, which got its name from Purasu or Flame of the Forest.
