Avinash Veeraraghavan is moving away from the self to a more expansive multidimensional interpretation of selfhood in his art. 1024 Names, his solo at GallerySke is a testimony to that.
The eight works on display (digital print on satin, laser cut veneer, installations etc.) shows the artist’s newer engagements and his continued involvement with old practices.
But he remains hooked to the image, (found images on the internet and collected by Avinash to form his vast archive).
For 1024 Names, he combines the religious and the digital world (2 raised to the power of 10 in binary is 1024).
The show begins with Leela , a celebratory installation of lights used during pujas and festivals reproduced like the roots of a banyan tree. The mirrors placed on the wall enlarge the image of the lights and the viewer.
In Spectrum , crushed cloth is fit into a frame in a haphazard manner but there is order to the chaos.
The colour palette chosen is reminiscent of the digital world.
In this series, he uses fabrics of different kinds which are again drawn from the internet.
Images of interiors and patterns from different cultures make their way to the fabrics.
Avinash says moving towards soft material like cloth was a natural progression for him for he was working with patterns on paper.
Then there is Daybreak , which remains a skeletal image of a dressing room.
The images printed on wood have been laser cut.
If Homeland , a digital image of tents, is overtly about the external world, Daybreak deals with an intimate space not accessible to all.
Avinash is now gearing up for the upcoming edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale where he will showcase his embroidery.
1024 Names is on display at GallerySke, 2 Berlie Street, Langford Town, till January 7
