Curator Kanchi Mehta’s ‘Rite of Passage’ is an exhibition par excellence from the usual
ones I have been witnessing for some time now. Happening in the silent, serene and
dreamy locale of Fort Kochi in the gallery Art*ry, ‘Rite of Passage’ is sailing
smooth while presenting stunning adventure in the form of the presented art
works.
About ‘Rite of Passage’
A rite of passage is a
ceremony and marks the transition from one phase of life to another. It is an
internal (as well as eternal) journey of evolution one must go through to
pierce into a new role. This could be with reference to birth, beginnings,
relationships, endings, and even death. This anthropological term and concept
arose as a part of social obligations, when rituals were (and still are)
performed when adolescents reached puberty, or when a king would be enthroned
or when a woman would become a mother. However, this term marks a milestone at
every step in our lives, whether it is trauma, re-location, revelation or love.
This passage from one experience to another is
enough to alter one’s perception of life as it was, into a re-coded
transformation.
Featuring Artists:
Rithika Merchant
Arundhati Saikia
Kedar DK
Shivani Gupta & Corinne Adams
Kalidas Mhamal
Ratna Khanna
As I stepped into Art*ry with my friend, we were greeted by the pleasant Gallery Manager, Edwin David Sam, with whom I had spoken over the phone a few days back to check on the exhibition. He then retired allowing us to ourselves while we slowly and gradually walked from one frame to another. Later, he did join to brief me with the details wherever I needed one.
Rithika Merchant took me by surprise into her realm of myth,
history and culture…it was pure fantasy for me almost surreal an experience to
see, imbibe and move through her paintings. Each had a mythical story to
share…something new for me. It was most appealing for one, I love
myths and legends. And second, for all the nuances each art held…even a couple of the
canvas was arranged in 'tangram-like-piece' manner. Each element in the painting was entwined in
some form with the other either by vines, roots and emotion. It definitely does
the same to the onlooker too!
Arundhati Saikia turned out to be one of my favourites as well
since her art deals with miniature form (people who have been following me would
know that am extremely fond of miniatures). It’s inspired from centuries old
Assam miniatures but the subjects are interlaced with modern and the
traditional. The beautifully patterned window that opens onto the tranquil
nature, the blue Mahavidya with one leg on the lotus, the animals on the
spreads and the walls, the dreamy spaces with minute intricate patterns, the
perspective of each frame that it presents were all exciting to gaze at. To top
it all they were painted on silk! You could make out the fine texture of the
fabric and that really sensationalized me!!! There was a kind of newness to it
as referred in the Artist statement that the “painted space is a hybrid.”
Kedar DK is
one genius I would like to meet someday (not that I wouldn’t want to meet the others!!!).
One has to see his work to understand my statement! ‘Babylon’ is a magnum opus
sort of work; I haven’t yet seen his other works though.
It
says: “‘Babylon’ portrays human ethics which have been recognized as the
parameter of human morale for centuries.” The question he “poses is the
relevance of these traits in the current context, be it culture, society,
politics and religion.”
Huge,
filled with minute details of terror, horror, grief, pain, torture, dark
emotions…it is something one would want to stand still and look at to really grasp
the intentions. On the side wall, there were two of his miniatures as well
depicting the duality of the same space. I had to enquire about the artist and
I was totally taken aback when Edwin mentioned that the artist is just 27 years
old!!! I expected a much elderly man to have portrayed the canvas with such
intensity!
‘Threaded
Whisperers’ by Shivani Gupta, the
Photographer and Corinne Elysse Adams,
the Story collector and Songstress is a visual treat as they seem to not only narrate
a story of the hills and it’s inhabitants but sings their way through sheer
poetic touch to the depictions.
Kalidas Mhamal presents ever day objects with certain dates on
it; on fabulous papers yellowed around the edges, beautifully framed. Their presentation
is done with care and is appealing. It did remind me of Andy Warhol who had
done some exceptional art on omni present subjects.
Ratna Khanna’s works were minimalistic and as the note says
she is interested in contextual landscape; which for her is a medium rather
than a genre of art.
“Through
her explorations, she contemplates issues concerning the built environment,
geography, un/settlement, displacement, design, ambiguity and fantasy.”
If you are someone like me who tends to be aesthetically inclined,
Ms. Khanna’s work was difficult for me to grasp.
The exhibition is currently running in Art*ry Gallery, Hotel Fort Manor, Fort Kochi.
