Artistic expressions from the subcontinent

For admirers of art, especially the mixed media variety, here is an opportunity to enjoy the perspectives of artists not just from India but neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh too.

A city-based gallery, Exhibit 320, has brought together seven artists from these three countries to showcase their works in an exhibition titled ‘Delineating Memories’.

It draws on the experien-ces of the artists in their respective societies and their impressions of life and relations. Besides, every artist has employed a different medium, way different from the oil and water paintings we see ad nauseam, making them experimental and yet highly interesting.

Exhibit320, located in the ever-evolving art-street of Delhi, Lado Sarai, focuses on contemporary art from India and the sub-continent, crea-ting a platform for new thoughts and ideas.

The emphasis of the exhibition space is on art that engages in new means, both by thoughts and material. It has opened this organisational space for creative
endeavour, aesthetic explorations, and furthering visual dialogues.

‘Delineating Memories’ includes seven young and upcoming artists: Simrin Mehra Agarwal, Sharmishta Kar, Martand Khosla and M Pravat from India; Noorali Chagani and Simeen Farhat from Pakistan; and Gazi Nafis Ahmed from Bangaldesh.

The range of their thoughts and artistic materials is most impressive.

Gazi Nafis Ahmed, for instance, has captured the liveliness and raw energy of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s Capital and his hometown, in some truly eye-popping photographs.

A close-up of a biker with a helmet exudes speed and motion. A photograph of a butcher holding a cock by its neck, on the other hand, gives a sense of brutality and sadism that is, strangely, appealing. This is a part of his ‘Puran Dhaka’ (Old Dhaka) series.

Karachi’s Noorali Chagani, on the contrary, has added a human, emotional aspect to the exhibit with his sculptural works made of miniature terracotta bricks.

The winner of many international awards says, “Being a child from a broken home, I have always felt myself in isolation. The idea of a home and a personal space is dear to me. Bricks hold a great significance in my work. They represent
me, my feelings and my utterance.”

His countrywoman Simeen Farhat has, uniquely, played with the calligraphic form, constructing and deconstructing letters in installations.

Sharmishta Kar has done hand embroidery on fabric to narrate her experiences in travelling and meeting people in different countries.

Martand Khosla, an architect, has used brick dust to create portraits of migrant labourers who, he says, “are increasingly displaced and ignored in the popular discourse of India’s shining future.”

The works of M Pravat, from Kolkata, are also inspired by the principles of architecture, while Simrin Mehra Agarwal, also a Kolkatan, critically examines the visual history and transitional phase of royalty from grandeur to decline post-independence. For art lovers, ‘Delineating Memories’ can be a fascinating journey in exploration.

This exhibition is on from July 18 to August 5 at the Exhibit320 gallery in Lado Sarai.