A preface

It is exciting when six individualistic and apparently disparate sets of works are thrown together resulting in magic. The synergy is created by a common urge to break free from the contemporary beaten track of spectacle and reflect, instead, on the subliminal and more subtle aspects of life and existence; on the very making of art itself.

Mixed media presents six totally divergent media and modes of art practice, concentrating occasionally on very sensitive forms, images and sensibilities. The boundaries are often extended, sometimes blurred and at times overlapping. Design, photography, stitching, recycling and natural colours on textile merge to create an unusual play of forms and shadows. Paper behaves like canvas which transforms into magical tapestry of varied perspectives, melting into silk with rough edges and finally dissolving into fleeting strokes of unique harmony. Moving from the primordial to the subliminal.

It is this strange metamorphic journey that forges the central idea of this exhibition — revealing, at times, the strange underbelly of our existence, reminiscent of the primordial struggles of humankind, with all its ambivalences, shocks, doubts and tragic splendours. The sum total, a juxtaposition of pristine aesthetics and the cutting edge, emanating from introspection and profound realisation.

Soham Gupta’s powerful and edgy collection of surreal photographs was first featured in the Venice Biennale 2019 and we are happy to be able to include them in this show. They are powerful yet strangely poignant. Four of his works executed during the Covid-19 lockdown are a complete departure and have also been included in this show.

Shreyasi Chatterjee meanders between the world of miniatures and Kantha, unleashing a sublime and pensive journey through lands, temples, and lost practices, often breaking form altogether to create a floating assemblage of signs, motifs and symbols.

Ina Kaur recycles and creates a magical world of printmaking and collage, with immediacy and chance often taking over from the normal constructs of graphics. Vishal Bhand, on the other hand, straddles the realms of form, design and texture. His vision of looking back at Nature encapsulates the use of natural colours and fabrics. He captures transient moments of darkness and radiance with rare aplomb and sensitivity — transforming a piece of silk textile into an abstract mural of immense subtlety.

Kingshuk’s passionate works, predominantly with organic colours on canvas and silk, emanate from his profound inner world. He is drawn to the eastern mode of practice because of its intrinsic message of harmony, while Rashmi delves into ideas stemming from her deep existential strife, translated delicately on handmade paper with organic hues.

This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to glimpse some exciting experiments undertaken by a group of contemplative artists using a variety of media; it has moments of euphoria as well as deep silence. Many of the works were produced during the pandemic lockdown and thus reflect the existential and psychological crisis that has gripped humanity.

Mixed Media, in many ways, reflects those concerns and predilections of the participants — a profound search for balance and harmony in the aftermath of acute upheaval.

Rakhi Sarkar
Director, CIMA
June 2020