Mayera Suman

Kochi, Kerala, India

About the Artist

My artistic inclination has always been towards playing with contrast and perspective, and challenging the standard way in which we perceive things. I am drawn to the idea of taking something familiar and presenting it in a way that makes us look at it differently. I like creating a shift in perception where what initially appears obvious or dominant slowly gives way to something unexpected. The Fly is one such exploration within my practice.

The Fly began as a quiet observation for me,
something almost dismissible, a presence so small and ordinary that it is often ignored, swatted away, or forgotten. Over time, however, it evolved into a deeply personal inquiry.
In these paintings, the fly is deliberately the smallest element, yet it becomes the one that draws the viewer’s attention. It is not an interruption; it becomes an anchor. The animals are presented almost like dignified portraits, while the fly quietly exists alongside them. There is no aggression or fear between them, but rather an unusual sense of curiosity and coexistence.

The contrast runs through the series in many ways ,the monumental and the minute, the bold and the restrained, colour and monochrome, the familiar and the overlooked. Most importantly, there is a contrast between what we expect to see and what we actually end up looking at.
I am interested in that moment of change,the moment when the viewer’s attention shifts, expectations are challenged, and something that was meant to be overlooked becomes impossible to ignore.

I have always been a free spirit, with an artistic inclination and a natural tendency to question and challenge established standards from a very young age. Although I come from Odisha, my artistic practice has found its home in Kochi, where I continue to explore and develop my visual language.

Educated as a doctor, my journey eventually led me back to art,a path that feels less like a change of direction and more like a return to something that was always a part of me. Today, I am a full-time artist, and choosing to follow this path has been deeply fulfilling, both creatively and personally.
My practice has been presented through multiple group exhibitions across India and internationally, a solo exhibition, and participation in prestigious art fairs and leading gallery exhibitions. These experiences have allowed my work to reach diverse audiences and have played an important role in shaping and strengthening my artistic voice.

My artistic inclination has always been towards observation, curiosity, and the desire to challenge familiar ways of seeing. I am particularly drawn to contrast—between scale and intimacy, prominence and subtlety, colour and monochrome, the expected and the unexpected. Through these contrasts, I explore how perception can shift and how meaning is often shaped not by what is immediately visible, but by what gradually reveals itself.

My influences are diverse and arise from nature, everyday observations, animal behaviour, and the quiet interactions between living beings. I am inspired by the way perception changes through perspective, and by the idea that the smallest or most familiar element can sometimes hold the greatest power to provoke curiosity and reflection.

At the heart of my practice is a simple but enduring question: how does changing the way we look alter what we see? leading me to create art that invites curiosity, and encourages a more attentive way of seeing the world.

Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Manipal University,India

Certification in Pain and Palliative Medicine, Pallium India, Trivandrum

Workshop in Tempera by Meenakshi Sengupta , Durbar Hall ,Kochi

2026
Art of India, by Times of India (TOI), India (January–March)
Solo Exhibition, State Gallery of Art, Hyderabad
Group Exhibition, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2025
Group Exhibition at David Hall, Fort Kochi (September)
Group Exhibition curated by Satyapal, Kochi
2024
Group Exhibition at David Hall, Fort Kochi (December)
Group Exhibition at, Abanindranath Tagore Gallery, ICCR, Kolkata (May)
International Exhibition, Dubai (March)
2023
The Haat of Art, Mumbai (November)
Group Exhibition at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (October)
Group Exhibition at, Bombay Art Society, Mumbai (June)
Group Exhibition at, David Hall Art Gallery, Kochi (September)
Group Exhibition at, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore (February)
2022
Group Exhibition at, David Hall Art Gallery, Kochi (October)