“What had been the most dominant form of expression for centuries is fast losing ground in the modern electronic era,” laments sculptor Neeraj Gupta who is exhibiting his collection of sculptures in wood and marble titled “Horizontals Verticals” at the Visual Arts Gallery in India Habitat Centre. Eminent poet, critic, and arts scholar, Keshav Malik, also present on the occasion said sculpting was the oldest form of expressing thoughts and imaginations, and it was necessary to revive the culture.
Elaborating on the subject matter of his current body of work, Gupta said, “The works exude the deep-seated wisdom of being linked to one another as fellow beings of this world. The sculptures focus on the normal day-to-day activities of human beings and portray the bonding between the human and its surroundings.” Many of his detailed works like ‘From the Smithy of the Soul', and ‘Blossoming Nakshatra', reflected what one's inner determination or souls could create.
Initially an architect, the artist decided to embrace sculpting as his full-time profession after he realised his deep rooted passion for the discipline. “I was always fascinated by the concept of making impressions out of dead pieces of anything, say marble or wood,” he related.
Spurred on by his concern for the city, the inhabitant of Delhi creates mammoth-sized works primarily for installation in public spaces.
“Works of art in public spaces are those signs and visions that rise above divisions, partisan passions or abject materialism, to some higher vision,” opines Gupta.
(The exhibition is on till January 25 at Visual Arts Gallery)
