Following the residency at Artist Point in Meghalaya (see previous post) I traveled to Kolkata; Delhi; Bhopal and Indore. My friend and colleague, the artist Siraj Saxena had organised a two person exhibition at Alliance Francais de Bhopal.
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| with Siraj Saxena, Prayag Shukla, Akhilesh and Nirmala Sharma |
Siraj exhibited new graphic works on card, made from industrial pre-pressed card and incised as if printed. the texture and colour of the card being integral to the drawing. He also showed small postcards made in homage to Ghandi (one of Ghandi's main communication methods) and these included collage, drawings and fabric stitching. I exhibited 20 small paintings made the previous month in Meghalaya, transporting the still curiously sticky acrylic paintings first to kolkata, then to Delhi and then to Bhopal! They had travelled well. The exhibition was opened by one of India's foremost painters, Akhilesh (see further post), and attended by over 60 people including Madhya Pradesh foremost ceramic artist Nirmala Sharma and the Poet and Art Critic Prayag Shukla.
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| Prayag Shukla with graphic work by Siraj Saxena |
It was really interesting during the exhibition to talk with people about the paintings made in Meghalaya and I realised that they were a lot to do with the sound of the river at Jakrem that we could hear when working Plein Air throughout the day. The Sound of Colour.
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| In conversation with Prayag Shukla |
from left: Nirmala Sharma; Deepa and Tanveer Farooqui; Siraj Saxena; Avadhesh Yadav; Akhilesh and Prayag Shukla
Exhibition at Alliance Francaise, Bhopal. Vision and Form with Siraj Saxena. Inerview with Siaraj Saxena and myself by Innovate Now
Vision and Form – Andrew Smith and Siraj Saxena
Vision and Form brings together two artists concerned with process and making. Studio practice is central to both artists that work in different and contrasting mediums yet whose concern is to bring idea and imagination to fruition through an exploration of materials and ways of making. Whilst working at Garbatka Plein AiR, a focused residency in Poland, both artists shared a working space with other artists and in sharing practice, discussed possibilities for further exchange, here first, in Vision and Form.
Andrew’s paintings are essentially about colour. Place is the central theme for this new series of work, made very recently whilst on residency in Meghalaya at Artist Point 2019. The beautiful landscape and culture of the Khasi Hills contrasts with his home region of Wales, yet there are very strong cultural links between the two places. In approaching the new landscape around Mawkyrwat, sensory and perceptive observation facilitated an exploration of Camel acrylic paints. The vibrancy and range of hue introduced, for example, Indian Yellow, a rich Sapphire colour. (Andrew’s/Smith’s) current interest in Place and colour is part of an ongoing project, looking at the way location and culture can develop the language of painting. New work is defined as ‘scapes’, works that are responsive to multiple influence both through actual production on site and also reflective painting in the studio. With this new work, aspects of landscape, experienced by moving over and around the territory (as opposed to merely looking at it) created a dynamic enthusiasm for making new paintings.
Siraj works in several mediums, painting, ceramics, graphics and textiles. He calls himself a visual poet. He loves to put colours as form and scratch to create textures. His graphics are mainly an experience of lines with its volume. He creates his ceramics out of touch. He likes to travel in different kinds of landscape around the world. He feels them and speaks through his visual language. His painting is an endless dialogue with nature.
Vision and form is part of the process of making. In presenting work with two different artist enables new contrasts and connections with idea, imagination and form to be created.
