Studio Art Presents four artists at the India Art Fair Booth this year 2023.
Khalil Chishtee
Shivani Aggarwal
Sachin Tekade
Megha Joshi
Khalil Chishtee’s works based on the exotic calligraphy is very political in nature, these calligraphic impressions can mesmerize the viewer on its first look. Generally people appreciate the elegance and aesthetics of calligraphy without trying to read it as it appears visually beautiful thus the content id often ignored.
When Urdu text is used as a decorative element, it tends to establish a connection with its mother language Arabic. By doing so he questions the relationship of form and content, he feels there is so much focus on the forms that they have lost the meaning / content of it completely. In one of his drawing series, the form and flow of calligraphy have the same sacred look but upon examining them those were actually abusive words written in Urdu or Punjabi.
Shivani Aggarwal's " Knowing & Unknowing" are a set of books made of teakwood.
The text and images in the book are handwritten and drawn with Acrylic. The missing spaces in the text along with the incoherent sequence and connection, symbolize our incomplete knowledge or understanding.
The work is a paradox as it touches upon the idea of how excess knowledge can refrain the mind from true understanding on one hand and on the other. It represents the slowly fading need to read in this digital era.The written text discusses many thoughts on emptiness.. Thoughts and philosophies are ever growing but are held static in them.
Her set of 10 canvas works framed in round embroidery frames created meticulously sewing cotton threads on canvas. The threads sewn in straight lines are heavily layered and give an illusion of being a pencil sketch from a distance. The sewn straight lines create a curvilinear structure which holds both emptiness and tension.
Sachin Tekade's deliberate choice of a single plane of paper is an ode to purity, emphasizing the essence of form and composition. The straight lines, meticulously arranged, serve as a visual anchor, guiding the viewer through the seemingly tranquil surface. Yet, the enigmatic undercurrent challenges our perceptions, prompting a quest to unravel the concealed narrative beneath.
"Obscure" plays with the viewer's innate curiosity, inviting them to question the nature of what lies beneath the surface. The juxtaposition of simplicity and complexity beckons contemplation on the hidden intricacies within the apparent simplicity of life. In the obscured layers, a metaphor for the complexity of human experiences, emotions, and relationships unfurls, reminding us that beneath the surface of the ordinary lies a profound tapestry of existence.
Through the intentional concealment of the underlying organic form, the artist encourages viewers to embrace the beauty of mystery and ambiguity. In doing so, the artwork becomes a metaphorical mirror, reflecting the complexity inherent in the act of perception and interpretation. As viewers engage with "Obscure," they are prompted to question their assumptions and delve into the layers of meaning concealed within simplicity. The piece challenges us to appreciate
the beauty that emerges when the familiar is rendered unfamiliar, and the ordinary is shrouded in enigma.
Megha Joshi's Red series are drawings in vermillion with cotton wicks/diya baati - from a long preoccupation of mine with gender, religion and ritual. The interference of politics and religion in women's bodies as a site has long disturbed me.
In India especially, women's bodies as a site of "honour" is a concept I explore. Continued taboos around menstruation, temple entries, rapes in communal riots, hyper-sexualisation as well as suppression of women's bodies, I think, is a subject that needs focus. The drawings revolve around the tagging of women as birthers and nurturers or vixens and sluts; pure and impure, mine and theirs etc. Misogyny has deep roots in India and we need to dig deep if we want to weed it out.
