End-of-the-year musings inspire five artists to introspect about the world and its goings-on before they put their mind to creating a piece of art for you
Conversation by T Venkanna (oil on canvas), Pic Courtesy/Fabien Charuau
Living life on social media, stitching together the past and present and even celebrating the spirit of the season are some of the thoughts that went through the mind of five celebrated artists as the year comes to an end. But as artists often tend to do, they decided to put their ideas down in doodles, dashes and colour. Here’s a spread of five original art pieces created especially for Sunday mid-day, so you can feel what they feel. If you relate to any one, then our job is done.
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‘Is nature dependent on us for sustenance or the other way around?’
T Venkanna, Baroda, creates art on canvas
On a richly rendered oil-on-canvas, Baroda-and-Hyderabad-based artist T Venkanna illustrates the symbiotic relationship between nature and culture. On the bottom right, we see a man reaching out for a fruit from a tree. The gender roles are reversed as the woman hoists the man on her shoulders. On the top left of the canvas is the solitary woman who is sitting cross-legged. She appears to be alone but is in fact, having a conversation with her partner who is shrouded by oversized leaves that dominate the picture’s plane. “Through this work, I’d like to ask the reader to examine our relationship with each other and with the environment—who is dependent on whom for sustenance and survival?” he ponders.
‘We are forced to engage in reality envisioned by social media’
Mansoor Mansoori, New Delhi, creates paintings and video art
A practising visual artist who divides his time between Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and New Delhi, Mansoor Mansoori has of late been working on issues related to technology, ecology and emotional suffering. His paintings lean towards the figurative style and focus on human vulnerability. “In this age of mass communication, we are forced to engage in a reality that is projected via social media, propaganda films and fake news. This can be a destructive tool to impose ideologies, which can lead to misery. I believe that we should also embrace the playful aspect of life which is beyond existential struggles,” he says.
Portrait with a Paper Plane (oil on canvas)
In this work, in the foreground, is a paper plane which is a strong motif from childhood and a metaphor for innocence. “The partly visible face behind the paper plane looks isolated, sad and rather lost—almost unaware of the floating object in front of his eyes, indicating that somewhere he is missing out on the joys of mere existence.”
‘Our past and present are layers stitched one atop another’
Sathi Guin, Baroda, creates intricate geometric designs
I always consider the concept of doing as my starting point,” explains Baroda-based artist Sathi Guin, adding, “but the process of discovery along the way, makes me constantly change my mind… slowly yet spontaneously to fit in. It’s simply the acknowledgement that our surroundings are complicated. All our past and present memories, and imagination of the future, are compounds and layers stitched together—one on top of the other. By constantly forming lines and
joining the dots from movement to moment, from implicit to explicit, from the hidden to revealed—these lines of silence and chaos become a symbol of resistance and repair.”
Untitled by Sathi Guin (watercolour on paper)
‘I am looking forward to the red hues of Christmas’
Brinda Miller, Mumbai, creates mixed media on canvas
For Mumbai-based senior artist and chairperson of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Brinda Miller, the seasons always pose as inspiration. “It is that time of the year, when we are all in an upbeat and hopeful mood—now even more so after two long years! Through this joyful time, it is the red hues of Christmas that I always look forward to and love most!” she exclaims.
Another World by Brinda Miller (mixed media on canvas)
‘I find calm in solitude’
Anirban Mishra, WB, creates mixed media on canvas
Known for documenting his old neighbourhood (symbolising his childhood and memories of warmth and familiarity) juxtaposed against new structures, Tamluk-based artist Anirban Mishra explains how empty streets at night offer him peace and inspiration. “The lonely road with a single lamp post, and a standalone newly built coffee shop against old structures builds a quaint atmosphere. The blue sky seems black at night, but makes me stay calm. I find solitude there—it touches my soul.”
Untitled by Anirban Mishra (mixed media on paper)
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