Between Sight & Insght

His works have been an exploratory journey in understanding myriad facets of culture. He often takes up the position of a flâneur, observing the society around him and re-interpreting narratives in a new context. In Plzen, when he first arrived, he was overwhelmed by the historic landmarks and people around him. The site of the present work was once functional as a bus depot, thus the theme of the human journey became his primary focus immediately. In most of his works, he attempts to readdress socio-economic-cultural issues in a satirical way, playing with mythological and real-life narratives. The juxtaposition of opposing yet connected imagery intends to inspire viewers to ponder over the situations. In the present work, one can come across two images constructed through shadows; which slowly make an appearance before their eyes. Right from the inception of mankind and civilization, humans have been constantly on the move to seek food, shelter, and moreover, peace. The constant migration and struggle for settlement find mentioned in the present work. The recent global refugee crisis also compels him to address the situation. With each passing day, the territorial borders are being redrawn and redefined making the situations more complex and causing suffering to many across the globe. The present site also must have been a very busy place where people were in constant transit heading to different places for different purposes. As he read about the political history of Plzen, he imagined the space to be filled with Jews ready to be deported to a Nazi concentration camp during the World War years. he also imagined a parallel visual from his country where during

the partition of 1947 million were facing turmoil. It is the human story of migration, separation and pain that binds these narratives. As a reference for the first image, he has chosen the biblical narrative of ‘Noah’s Ark’ as a symbolic point of visual departure. he consciously borrowed the image from a popular Czech mural that he encountered during his visit to Prague. he interpret this narrative as a narrative of migration. he altered the composition by introducing another biblical narrative, “Flight to Egypt’ which also addresses the same ideas of migration and refugees. he has used the Madonna and child image in a more secular social context, where the figures are representatives of common people. The second image occupies the same visual space, gradually replacing the shadows of the former image. India has been one of the most populous countries in the world and its beauty lies in its plurality of cultures. The second composition is borrowed from his homeland, where it is a common site to find several people riding a vehicle together, beyond its accommodative capacity. The images of a journey on a typical Indian bullock cart and an over-occupied vehicle address the same issues in a satirical way. The only image that remains constant is the image of the lady on the donkey but if one looks closely her child goes missing in the second image. His present work could be interpreted as a message for a global peace campaign to build a better tomorrow. he dedicate this work to the Father of his Nation – Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth centenary.

BLIK BLIK Light Festival 2019
Size- 16 x 30 feet, Medium- DMX light, DMX, Paper cards on plywood, 2019