Discourse on Canvas

“Where do I owe my allegiance when I am not wanted even in my nation.” This statement pops out of the illustration-style wall art created by artist Johnson Kshetrimayum as you enter Khoj Studios. The artwork, created in a comic-book style, delves into his own personal history of being racially abused and beaten in Baroda while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree. The work is supported by a video of him going around the Khirkee area, creating graffiti art signifying the discrimination people from the Northeast face in their daily life.

In the four-day long exhibition titled ‘Peers 2016’ at Khoj, Johnson and four other artists talk about racial discrimination, migration, safety and feminism in a unique and interactive way. Talking about the show, curator Promona Sengupta says, “‘Peers’ has been one of Khoj’s pioneering programmes, and this year is the 13th edition of ‘Peers’. It is a unique residency model, closely curated for recent graduates and young artists starting their professional careers. For this show, the artists have chosen Khirkee as a subject intertwined with certain societal norms. The beauty of the works lies in the fact that none of them question or critique society, they are simply stating facts and trying to understand where they stand.”

Hailing from a conservative family, 25-year-old Anuradha Upadhyay draws the viewers’ attention to the uncomfortable and disturbing male gaze that women are subjected to in their day-to-day lives. “Anuradha’s work appears to draw constant references to the socio-political dynamics of the contemporary times while deeply engaging with her own subjectivity as a woman within the society. She has painted mask-like faces on small sculptural objects that are displayed as part of her other drawings and writings,” explains Promona.

She continues, “Anuradha sees Khirkee as a venue of many possibilities; a multi-cultural place full of expressions. What also interests her is how different communities are perceived.”

Artist Smita Rajmane takes the metaphorical route to talk about several incidents that took the country by storm in recent times. She maps the distance between the mosque in the area with various landmarks around it emphasising on the boundaries we have in family and in society equally. “Her work is very fascinating — in a very simplistic manner she talks about the boundaries we are expected to live within, in society. For her artwork, she took images of the mosque and its surroundings, and later carved out elements for her second frame, thus voicing out her opinion on the overall picture and asking who creates boundaries in society. She also showcases the contrasting lives of people — on one side of the mosque area, there are more landowners, while the rest of Khirkee is either slum area or the glitzy malls,” shares the curator.

Talking about the life of a clustered urban dweller is artist Manojit Samanta. For this exhibition he is showcasing a three-dimensional jigsaw-like puzzle of cardboard cutouts that depict the chaotic, unruly life of Khirkee Extension. Capturing the aspect of area being highly disaster-prone is Arijit Bhattacharyya with his woman superhero. “Arijit mostly works with a concept of creating art that is functional. In the past he has created design solutions for people living in temporary shelters. In this exhibition, he has created a leatherite bag that can be transformed into a superhero rubber suit. This superhero is a Muslim woman who protects the people against fire. In a photographic series, he also showcases the woman clad in her superhero suit living happily with her family,” concludes Promona.