JOIN USThis may be his debut solo art show but 24-year-old Pallav Chander is not new to the world of art. He has regaled many an audience with his portrayal of a woman in the play Mahim Junction. It’s no wonder then, that even for his debut art show, titled ‘Decoding A Dyslexic Mind’ at Passage Art, Khan Market, Pallav shows a remarkable confidence in the autobiographical 35-odd works which include oils on canvas, acrylic on canvas and paper.
That he is dyslexic and a large part of his work features hands is Pallav’s a direct message to not consider dyslexics as abnormal. He does concede that he has borne the brunt of many taunts as a school-going child and Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par did help him a lot.
“Of course it was tough as a dyslexic child, and all these works are almost autobiographical. Not only do they reflect my present state of mind but also my growing up years after my parents separated. Hands came into my work from my experiences in the UK. Each and every hand for me is like a memory, a moment from my life which I would want to remember,” says Pallav.
It is the same time at Birmingham City University in UK that made Pallav resolve that he needed to stand out from the crowd. “I have no hesitation in admitting that I am not good at drawing. I am a self-taught artist, so I had to ensure that my concepts were strong visually. While studying in UK, when my teachers challenged me to show an ‘India they wouldn’t like’, I converted a whole room into an installation itself - titled Routes, Religion & Rituals – which described Kali sacrifices in India.Hands surfaced in my work then.”
In the current show, the triptych titled Mind Sees What It Chooses to See, imprints of hands fade or strengthen as one move one’s eyes sideways, and he calls this series ‘performance art’. “I dip my hands in paint and start applying them on canvas – it’s like a performance going on in a two-dimensional plane,” says Pallav.
Art curator Roobina Karode says, “While still in school, Pallav had experienced a certain lack of speed in comprehending and writing, anxiety towards social interaction and team work in the classroom.
He shied away from people, often due to peer pressure and the fear of being judged. With his mother’s constant effort and encouragement Pallav was first introduced to performing arts and theatre workshops, and this brought a gradual but dramatic change in his persona. His appetite for the arts was reinforced by his experiences doing theatre.”
The show will continue at Passage Art, 66, Khan Market till March 31, 2014.