Kala Samuha - an art marathon

Srishti- creation - is the essence of art. Coincidentally, an art gallery and an institution bearing the same name co-hosted the event, Kala Samuha – an art marathon; an amalgamation of creatives. Srishti Outpost of Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, stationed in Mill Hall in Mattancherry has been the venue of several events organized as part of the Collateral project of Kochi Muziris Biennale. It was co-hosted by Shrishti Gallery, Hyderabad under Lakshmi Nambiar. Around 100 artists’ took part to spur this creative force in the second week of February. Painting, installation, sculpture, video and performance art under one roof for 3 consecutive days. Each artist had 40 minutes to showcase his/her art. The aim to bring in more talents and project their creativity – for both art students and professionals alike. It was a platform to connect with different artists’ and different forms of creative expression.

A few pictures from Kala Samuha, courtesy Srishti Outpost page and the Curator Meena Vari.

Another event of Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology's Video Vortex XI – Video in Flux: Art, Activism and Archives is happening from Feb 23^rd to 25^th in No.18 Hotel, Fort Kochi and Mill Hall Mattancherry.

Srishti's concept note reads as:

“Srishti Outpost @ Mill Hall is a space that masquerades as a classroom, a gallery and a community hall. It will focus on the performative, the playful and the process oriented while supporting the various positions of art making. Outpost @Mill Hall celebrates ‘Making, as an Expanded Form of Expression and Engagement’. The curated program overlaps and intersects in, material and mediums, Art & Science, traditional and contemporary as well as multiple associations and collaborations. The idea is to bring together artists, curators, theorists, technologists, traditional makers, and the local communities to interact, share and learn. ‘Outpost@Mill Hall’ will be a series of events; exhibitions, symposiums, permanent installations, workshops and a live makers’ space, will ensure a thorough involvement of audiences, both as participants, as well as spectators.”

Silence is so accurate

The hum-drum,

the din,

the chaos

and

the pandemonium,

Silence is so accurate.

#micropoem

Don't you agree? 

"Silence is so accurate" is a quote by Mark Rothko, the renowned abstract expressionist.

A study - acrylics on board

Do you love micropoems? I have been writing it for long but now I know it has a name. 

Do you have your micropoems to share? Do post it in the comments. I would love to read them.

Man in White and Sketches

Today let the images speak for themselves. I feel like a parched cloud with nothing to offer. Words shy away from me, I have been trying to woo them though!

The 'Man in White', is from one of  Deepti Naval’s (famed Indian actress) photos (her photos are just as awesome as Deeptiji itself). I just fell in love with the deep reds and the contrasting white. Colours do allure. 

Man in White

acrylics on handmade paper

Trying to sketch and/or paint every day. Some days it’s easier while on other days it turns out to a great task to steal time to sketch. But I do love it all the same. 

 The Girl

charcoal on paper

Girl - White

charcoal on paper

I am working on the next Hopper but haven't been able to complete it yet. A few more finishing touches left. If you wish to see the other two...you can see it here and here.

And so our life becomes.(and a Hopper again)

Ascent or descent both are intriguing. While one soars high, the other counts and misses the rings one has been somersaulting into. It’s a fanciful flight. One where there’s no reaching the limits. It’s an ongoing one, in diverse directions just depending on the time and circumstances. One may see the birds and imagine how free their realm is, grow wings and fly with them...then again one may see the fish (any one, varied one), grow fins and take deep plunge. In both ways there’s mysterious urge to delve high and deep for it carries embedded memories of the distant past and yet to be future for we come from earth and belong to its grains...each tiny one...and its our true call of nature. Yet we miss that, forget that, ignore that...and claim to be evolved. These intricacies of existence is however luring and whimsical for we seem either to enjoy it or despise it...and so we are involved, either ways. And so our life becomes.

Just being pensive and the 'Hopperian' effect continues...the first Hopper attempt can be seen here.

 Stairway-at-48-rue-de-lille-paris-1906 

Acrylics on handmade paper

Edward Hopper Series