‘Alchemy of Memories’, now on view at Kalakriti art gallery, is a tapestry of unconventional paintings, sculptures and etchings by 11 emerging artists. Exploring varied mediums and themes as an outcome of artists-in-residency programmes, these artists present evocative works that are off the mainstream route.
There are several interesting works, like a terracotta sculpture by Ajay Singh where he depicts a visitor taking a selfie from atop the historic Charminar. Midhun Gopi works with pigments on paper, sandwiched between glass, to showcase both everyday objects and the cosmos. Biplab Sarkar pays an ode to Hyderabad’s Old City with his uncluttered canvas. Some of the paintings intentionally have an incomplete nature to them, to prompt viewers to let their imagination take wings. Akshita Aggarwal’s prints and etchings are introspective and urge us to look within; Prabhakar Sahoo and Krishnal Fulwala focus on the dynamics of the urban setting; and there are sculptures that discuss facets of feminism. A chessboard with Hyderabad’s historical structures as motifs, by Navjot Sohal, stands out from the rest. Alchemy of Memories, curated by Ruchi Sharma, is on view till May 29.
We spoke to some of the artists at the gallery to learn the stories behind the fascinating works.
Aji Kumar
Showcased at the gallery are small and large, arresting acrylic on canvas paintings. One of them is a vivid, true-to-reality recreation of a lush landscape in Kottakamboor, which the artist calls “the dead end of Kerala”, away from the touristy Munnar. “I call it a mystic village; marijuana was cultivated here until about 20 years ago after which people shifted to vegetable farming. They set up a barn during the cultivating season and later pull it down,” he explains. The Nilgiri hills and its “magic mushrooms” have inspired his work.
Another striking work is the artist’s depiction of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, a region that’s witnessed political turmoil. “I read that the region was called Gandhara, before it became a Buddhist centre; it was also a part of Silk Route. I tried to depict the beauty of the landscape and its current state of affairs,” he says. The fields overlooking the mighty mountains and the sculptures in shades of orange, green and purple, hide within them war planes, tanks and other battle equipment.
Ekta Singha
The young Baroda-based artist connects to her Bengali-Rajput roots through a series of vintage-looking paintings. One series is an ode to Salar Jung Museum and Hyderabad, where she spent a year during the artist-in-residency programme at Kalakriti. She documents some of the exhibits she observed at the museum.
But more personal and poignant are a series of six works, from her larger collection of 40, which are a journal-like ode to the royal lifestyles of the past. Ekta works with paper and linen cloth and likes the mystery of watercolour washes on these surfaces. Titled ‘Story of a Kingdom’, this series, she says, “is my way of connecting to the royal Rajput family I hail from. My grandparents have led a royal life, not me. I’ve heard several stories from them and wanted to share these memories through vintage, dairy-like works.” There are hand written notes on paper with frayed edges, at times even burnt, as though to denote how things of the past are burnt or erased over time. Chairs and thrones are recurring elements in her work. “These chairs and sofas are identity of royalty,” she says and refers to one chair depicted with a cactus-laced cushion, “a position of authority comes with responsibility, and you cannot judge through an emotional prism.” Another series by Ekta has 11 portraits inspired by photographs of her ancestral family. “My grandmother was the only one who managed to migrate from Bangladesh to India soon after Independence. These are some of her family members.”
Krishna Trivedi
‘From my backyard’ has Krishna Trivedi bringing to life everyday utility objects on treated banana fibre paper. The Baroda artist’s work begins from crafting paper. Apart from her series on everyday objects, a stunning work is a map-like depiction of Baroda city on paper. It looks like a typical urban maze from a distance. Step closer and you notice the different parts of Baroda — the walled Old City where the Mandvi is surrounded on four sides by the char darwazas , the Sur Sagar lake, the grand entrance to Lakshmi Vilas Palace and the art college campus. “I was born and brought up in Baroda and this is my way of connecting to my city,” she says. History and architecture are her interest areas and in another series, she presents works inspired by the stepwells of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Dinar Sultana
The artist who studied arts in Santiniketan and followed it up with a masters in Baroda, presents a series of works on special handmade paper with organic materials. She worked on paper to arrive at a unique texture, and then created intricate patterns that resemble butterflies and starlit skies. A series on dry flowers have colourful petals in the centre of the treated paper to remarkable effect. The fragility of the medium, she emphasises, also denotes the fragility of life. “The paper is self destroying, maybe in a span of 50 years from now,” she adds.
