14th October 2017 | Thrissur

Experiencing The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Deepan Shivaraman, left a profound impact on me, compelling me to translate its energy into art. The play, based on Robert Wiene’s 1920 silent horror film, follows the enigmatic Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist, Cesare, who becomes entangled in a series of murders in a small German town. Celebrated for its expressionist style, the film features distorted sets and twisted visuals that mirror the psychological themes of the narrative.

Pastels, with their rich textures and vivid colors, proved to be the ideal medium for capturing the play’s surreal and unsettling atmosphere. The inherent smudges in pastels evoke the mysteries embedded in the narrative, adding layers of ambiguity and intrigue to each piece. To sustain my inspiration, I worked alongside the original score composed and performed live by Two Star Symphony. This haunting and evocative music infused my creative process with the same intensity that captivated me during the play, allowing me to channel those emotions directly onto paper.

In one drawing, the cabinet symbolises the enclosure from which Cesare emerges, set within a dark, foreboding landscape. The colors and shadows reflect my perception of the play, featuring the shadow of a sprawling, leafless tree that captures the surreal and tense atmosphere. The abstract, almost unstable nature of the scene mirrors the distorted reality of Dr. Caligari’s world, where nothing is as it seems, and the environment is steeped in psychological tension.

Another piece hauntingly depicts a spectral face drawn on the wall by one of the characters during the play, hovering in the shadows amidst gushing taps that seem to spew blood, drenched in vivid reds and yellows. This unsettling image captures the horror and psychological turmoil central to the play, symbolising the draining of sanity and the pervasive presence of madness throughout the narrative.

The vibrant yellows and reds in both drawings, contrasted with deep shadows, reflect the colors and moods as I experienced them in the play, mirroring the psychological tension and surreal distortion that define The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.