Blck magic

Grin by Santanu Hazarika; (right) Angry Flower Child by Santanu Hazarika

Limited Edition: One-time-only experiences curated by cool folk

Duality runs through Santanu Hazarika's debut solo art show, Blck, at Gallery Art and Soul. The series of detailed monochromatic paintings represent chaos, and yet there is fluidity to the pieces. Hazarika calls this comfortable turbulence - rough and serene like a river. Amid intricate detail, it's almost as if the solid tone of India Ink which absorbs light, absorbs its viewers, too, and brings in that sense of calm the artist talks about.

Talking about his approach to the canvas, the self-taught independent artist says, "The process is that there is no process. [The concepts] don't come from one point of inspiration; it can be an amalgamation of many, fortified by a certain emotion. My play on things is a bit more paradoxical because I like to draw inspiration from things which are poles apart."

Santanu Hazarika

Blck is the coexistence of Hazarika's sensibilities. This duality also comes in with the artist's entry into the gallery world where he introduces his muses from the world of pop culture, hip-hop, video games, Japanese manga, anime, mythology, and music. "As I familiarised myself with his visual language, I found that I was further intrigued about his inspiration, his muse," notes Tarana Khubchandani, director of Gallery Art & Soul. Having found clients like Gully Gang, Azadi Records, Ritviz, Nucleya, Major Lazer and Raftaar and Adidas, his work now finds an audience in the art world. "[The show] promises to be a fascinating experience for all art lovers," says the curator Bina Aziz.

A teaser video directed by Hazarika does more than showcase glimpses of the works; it extends the concepts they embody. The opening night will also feature performances by actor and musician Shruti Haasan, and rapper MC Altaf. "I want the viewers to walk away with a sense of knowing who Santanu Hazarika is. I want them to walk away with the feeling that they are experiencing something different and that they will want to come back for more," the
artist concludes.

On February 10 to 28, 11 am to 8 pm (opening night performances start at 7 pm)
At Gallery Art and Soul, Shivsagar Estate, Worli.
Free