When Keats said 'touch has a memory' he spoke of our sensorial perception that holds a lot of power in our emotional lives. Touch is how we perceive the world through our bodies and even remember things and people. A touch can evoke strong feelings and a visceral reaction when it's positive; even more so when it's negative. Even years later a particular touch much like smell takes us back to our childhoods and experiences that had been buried away in our psyches.
The tactile nature of our lives also reflects in our art which uses textures or even visual components to induce a sensorial experience. Heavily influenced by meditation, prayer, and repetition along with the aftermath of loss and its manifestation in one’s own life artist Al-Qawi Nanavati has been writing letters to her late mother, Mumtaz, as a way to feel close and continue conversations with her. These letters are created by repurposing pieces of her mother’s clothing, photographs, and found objects that remind her of her mother. For the artist, it's prolong the intimacy she shared with her mother whilst healing from the grief of her absence.
Revati Sharma Singh showcases her artistic vision through a collection of artworks created with gauche and acrylic on canvas. Her philosophy revolves around the idea of breaking free from narrow-minded thinking, associations, and definitions. Revati uses grains as a tool to highlight the ongoing societal struggle between scarcity and abundance, which extends beyond just the availability of food. Through her art, she explores the linguistic origins of social and political disparities that exist in modern society.
Reyaz Badaruddin’s series Still Life investigates the relation between ceramic objects and their representation in painting, through the process of working with clay and canvass juxtaposing the 2D & 3D forms side by side, highlighting the relationship of objects with spaces. Changing Landscape reflects the omnipresent urbanization, in particular the skyscrapers with endless towers filled with thousands of pigeon holes - the modern form of human dwelling destined to millions. The feel of space, the changing landscape and the concept of home/house/belonging are ideas that have been explored in the series.
Shalini Dam manipulates the surface of clay in a way that animates the clay creating an optical illusion. How the surface and form are treated play an important role in this optical art. Cutting the surface and form is not just a physical manifestation of the urge to look beyond but also a means to subvert the sign, symbol or form. Thus, her practice challenges the way we see things and events in our world.
Veena Advani creates layered, abstract paintings that explore themes of relationship, identity and the natural world. Her recent work weaves abstract landscape and portraiture along with her signature embroidered paintings. The artist attempts to create works that feel modern, while rooted in traditional craft; both elemental and transporting. Her paintings also integrate embroidery as a textural element.
You can check out the work of these artists in a group exhibition called Woven Into Being that explores the 'possibilities of perception and multi-sensorial visuality through metamorphoses of forms and mediums'. It's up till May 23 at Latidude 28 in Delhi.
Find more info here.
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