A woman made of brass lies half-suspended in the air, with tattered remains of her clothes, made of steel. Hands, symbolising hope, can be seen springing out of the ground. Will they help her or not? At least she hopes they will. The “ground” she is suspended above, made of mirror, symbolises her condition as reflection of society — with or without hope.
The life-size sculpture, that mirrors the plight of rape victims in general and Nirbhaya in particular, was created by Dinesh Singh, a student of Indira Kala Sangeet University in Chhattisgarh.
The 32-year-old artist from Manipur has mounted a show of his poignant sculptures at the neglected gallery of Mulk Raj Anand Centre in Hauz Khas Village.
Singh’s other works include Lord Buddha. Other sculptures that grabs attention include one a conch shell transforming into Lord Buddha, Buddha’s famous “mudra”, etc.. All sculptures are made of steel and brass.
The life-size sculptures are a result of Singh’s passion for metal. The artist, who has been living in Mumbai for over a decade and is here for the show, doesn’t mince words about the commercial aspects of the life of a sculptor today.
“I don’t make money though my art because people in India still don’t spend on sculptures. I am also an interior designer. I invest the money earned from interior designing into sculpting. I am yet to send money home. I hope the country’s art scene will see better days soon.”
The ongoing group show also features self-taught artist Suresh Parihar. Also Mumbai-based, Parihar and Singh joined hands to mount a group show as the fee charged by the gallery is on the higher side.
Parihar’s oil/acrylic on canvas are abstract — with shades from marine blue to algae green, soft mauve to daring black and red. Most of his creations have the depth of an ocean, sadness of an evening and brightness of a morning.
The most astounding thing about the 45-year-old is that he began with abstracts. For most artists, the journey of art begins with the knowledge of forms, perfecting them and then reaching out to the abstract.
The show ends on Thursday.
