Transforming Tradition: AI Revives Ancient Kolam Art

In a fusion of tradition and technology, Professor Shyamala Sivakumar and her husband, Seshadri Sivakumar, have developed an AI algorithm to create intricate kolam patterns, a traditional South Indian art. Shyamala recalls her struggles as a child to master this art, which requires drawing continuous loops over a grid of dots without lifting one’s hand.

Decades later, Shyamala and Seshadri, now based in Halifax, Canada, explored the intersection of 2D art and generative learning, culminating in an algorithm published in Nature's Heritage Science. Their breakthrough came through a customised recurrent neural network aimed at replicating and enhancing the kolam's complexity.

This AI offers more than cultural preservation; its mathematical foundation enables applications in secure communications and complex protein models. As the couple collaborates with Indian students, they envision the potential for AI to both document traditional patterns and reach a new global audience.