Countenance of the changing society

Having no exact physical resemblance with the Indian men, the caricature in Pallavi Singh’s paintings, as seen cleaning underarms and applying anti-tan creams, portrays the picture of the ebullient new age male brigade.

Her observations break the stereotypical image of men and instead penetrate deep inside into their changing lifestyle. Presenting her thought process on canvas, Singh along with Baroda-based artist Soghra Khurasani has showcased her work in the ‘Unseen Passage’ exhibition at Arts and Aesthetics Art Gallery, Lado Sarai.
 
“Today, men have found a new way of socialising and have developed interest in one’s self image. Grooming has become an important norm,” says the 26-year-old, city-based Singh.

She focuses on the idea of ‘Desire to be Desire’. “The male figure in all paintings is a representation of the males around me, in my family and society. The idea was triggered by the opening of a unisex salon in my area. Men are equal to women in terms of fashion and grooming. Nonetheless, masculinity is retained without being feminine,” she says.

On the other hand, Khurasani’s work is largely inspired by the concept of life and death. Her paintings in wood cut prints are about freedom of thought and draws inferences from the deep angst against unjust social and religious prescriptions. “The work is related to the society. It is about the disturbances we face in our daily life and how we overcome it,”  she says.

The 30-year-old artist from Baroda likes to work on large-scale prints, where compositions are dominated by red – a colour that she feels expresses her rage and despair at the redundant injunctions imposed on common people.

“By morphing blood cells into roses through valleys and volcanoes, the artwork presents the bittersweet moments of free will that survive the hypocrisy and politics of institutions governing our lives,” she says.

In her currents series, excessive usage of rows, swirls and circles represent a never-ending cycle of repression and defiance. It depicts resistance to violence and the trauma associated with it.

The exhibition is on view till November 8 at Art and Aesthetics Gallery, Lado Sarai from 11 am to 7 pm.