Native ball brings together four bodies of work set in Kerala, exploring the region through alternative histories, unexpected connections and cultural observations. Moving between failed plans, inevitable outcomes and speculative futures, the book offers a layered portrait of people and place. Featuring 43 colour plates and 33 texts in English and Malayalam, it captures the overlaps, intersections, insights and misunderstandings that shape its subject.
Anup Mathew Thomas (born 1977) is an Indian artist based in Berlin. Working primarily with the photograph, his works engage ostensibly local narratives, introducing audiences to stories that may have gone missing from the archive. Over the last two decades, he has produced a series of projects that engage with and make reference to the cultural history of his native Kerala.
