The male figure has always been central to Rameshwar Broota’s oeuvre and so have been social concerns that have always navigated their way into his impressive body of works. His monumental canvasses bear a testimony of the laborious process the Delhi-based artist follows to create a piece of art. But his perfection is not merely limited to painting. He has, in fact, explored the medium of photography and upgraded his skills in Photoshop to present photographs that would leave a room open for some meaningful deliberations. One such frame has found its way into an upcoming exhibition, Pandora's Box. The 23X59 inches ‘Untitled’ (2006) photograph features a shiny, sleek kettle with a finger inserted into the mouth of its stout. Surprisingly, the kettle has two pouring outlets. “Well, that is because the image is Photoshopped,” admits Rameshwar.
“When I clicked the picture, I kept my one finger on its stout and my other hand was on its handle. But when I saw the picture, I wanted to make it more creative, that is when I cut the handle portion and pasted on the other side,” he says.
Rameshwar had started clicking pictures at a very young age, but when he was introduced to digital camera and computers around 25 years ago, he got hooked on it. But, he stayed away from doing regular landscape and street photography. “This was deliberate because I like exploring varied themes and emotions and do work which is different.”
This image, in many ways, represents the muzzling of voice or someone suppressing her inner pain. What is ironic is the fact that how even after a decade, this frame echoes the sentiments of today’s time and how the voices are being strangulated. Apart from this, other issues plaguing the society like refugee crisis, exploitation, repression, greed and war are equally important to address. A uniform representation of these universal issues stitches the narrative of this exhibition together, which is presented by Great Banyan Art, an online gallery.
Featuring works by some of India’s leading contemporary artists such T.V Santhosh, Shilpa Gupta, Baiju Parthan, Sunil Padwal and Anjum Singh, along with emerging artists from 15 countries like Indonesia, Philippines, China, South Korea, Vietnam, the UK and South Africa, the show’s strength lies in its variety and a dynamic array of expressions.
“It reflects the adversities that are going on around the world and highlights the universal nature of problems like sexual harassment,” says Sonali Batra, curator and co-founder. For instance, she says, “Indonesian artist, Tatang Ganar highlights socio-political problems by painting recurring themes such as the imbalance between the capitalist and worker’s life. Similarly, South Korean artist, Sung-ha Ahn paints ordinary objects such as cigarettes that are a metaphor for the psychological comfort it gives people, conveying its seductive toxicity.”
Sonali Batra
“Many of them are popular in their respective countries and their art would definitely become more valuable after a decade or so. Hence, this is a win-win situation for both sides,” she adds.
Spain-based Vietnamese artist, Viet Ha Tran, who draws pictures of women’s emotions, inner dreams, intimacy, poetry and philosophy with her camera, couldn’t agree more. “India is predicted to be the next top Asian economy after China with a rising buying power and appreciation for art. I think international artists like me would benefit greatly from the growing power of the Indian rich.”
Viet Ha Tran’s “Remembrance of the shattered dreams”
Viet Ha loves to paint women, she admits. Her work, Remembrance of the Shattered Dreams, features a woman in a dreamlike, surreal environment. Elaborating on her fascination for the female gender she says, “I mostly photograph women since I feel my soul akin to theirs, and I am specifically looking for emotions in a photograph. I want to immortalise that fragile, breakable soul that a woman carries inside her, through her look, her eyes.”
“Also, I am also intrigued by sadness, melancholy and deep emotions, I guess that comes from deep within my Asian soul (Buddhism taught me that suffering is beautiful), somehow I feel the joy in slow emotions and even sadness,” she adds.
(Pandora's Box can be viewed from November 11 to 19 at The Stainless Gallery, New Friends Colony, New Delhi)
