Into the fold

If the pen is mightier than the sword, paper has the power of the abstract. With the right folds and cuts it can translate into an art form. For most of us, paper folding was limited to making boats when it rained or during art classes in school. But with a dash of imagination and creativity, it can turn into something more beautiful: origami — “ori” meaning folding and “kami” meaning paper. Origami is an ancient Japanese technique of folding paper and paper-like materials.

Pushing the boundaries of this ancient craft is an exhibition titled ‘Origami Red/Origami Gold’, which showcases folding and folding-derived works in aluminium, steel, brass, paperboard, leather and ceramic. Landscape architect and origami artist Ankon Mitra has dedicated his life to this craft. Curated by Monica Jain, the exhibition is on till September 30 at the Tenshin Okakura Gallery, The Japan Foundation, New Delhi.

“When I started, my aim was to break this perception of origami as a craft... I wanted to tell the world that with a little bit of imagination it is as good as any other art form,” says Mitra.

From his first solo exhibition titled ‘The Folded Garden’ in 2014, Mitra has come a long way in terms of experimenting with colours, cuts and materials. While The Folded Garden started with rainbow colours and explored the relationship with nature, landscape and origami, Origami Red/Origami Gold is more confident as the installations have a story of their own. Also, in terms of materials Mitra has been more bold in trying his hands at ceramic, wood and aluminium.

Mitra’s art pieces in this exhibition seem to take a step forward and venture into the spiritual realm.

So you have ‘Whirling Dervishes’, which is inspired by Turkey’s whirling dervishes. When the whirling dervishes swirl in an ecstatic trance, lost in the divine love of god, they eventually recede. When they leave you can feel a fluid energy — a white illuminated energy that’s flowing and one that remains with you.

Another one is ‘Butterflies in Tandem’, where you see these beautifully crafted butterflies that are arranged in order in a well-set pattern contradicting the very nature of buzzing butterflies. Mitra says, “It’s a tribute to my grandmother... as a kid I saw my grandmother do crochet. She would knit for hours at end... She made a table mat with 32 butterflies and I was amazed at her idea of finding an order amongst dancing butterflies.”

Mitra explains further, “I wanted to send out the message that though we are physical beings who seek order in everything, it is our soul that wants to break away from this order that wants to rebel. This contradiction — natural conflict between human civilisation that seeks order and the spirit that wants to break free — is what I have tried to show”.

The art pieces are generally set in bright red or gold. The choice of colours is bold. Mitra’s artwork stands out as intricate mountain folds, pleats, reverse folds, squash folds and sinks grab your attention. One cannot help but revel at the creativity and imagination of the artist.

The use of fiery red is perfectly blended with subtle golden. Mitra is at ease when it comes to handling a bold colour like red.

“In my first show, I used polychromatic i.e. rainbow colours, and I was exploring and trying to find my own colour. Gradually, it flowed in space and my second show is a step backwards as far as colour is concerned. I am more disciplined and more confident as an artist. I have restricted myself to two colours. Since all artworks are in the physical realm I wanted to use those colours that would help me depict my spiritual ideas”.

However, red is often associated with passion. Mitra explains, “I am a Bengali and when we bring the idol of Maa Kali during Durga Puja, it is through our beliefs that we infuse life into that idol... For me, my artwork is like this... As an abstract artist the red colour symbolises the bindi that a woman wears on her forehead, which denotes her spiritual energy and her ability to procreate. Red is also the colour of the hibiscus flower that we offer Maa Kali. Also, red is the colour that’s popular in China and Japan apart from black and white.”

Mitra’s passion for his pieces is infectious. He started working on these pieces around August 2014. And while some of the works that require 50-60 folds are done within a week, some of the more complex structures that need 1,000 folds take one to two months to complete. After initial research, an artist needs discipline and concentration as well. That’s the reason Mitra was able to finish these pieces within almost two years.

Pushing origami out of paper is deliberate, as paper shows wear and tear after a few months. “Apart from paper I prefer goat hide, which is parchment leather. It has a translucent finish, milky white glow to it, and retains its shape. It is difficult to fold, but its a sturdy material and will last longer and the end result is worth all the effort. It is also more acceptable to people as it is leather.”

Mitra is also part of the Paper Artist Collective, which showcases the works of origami artists all over the world. Mitra is now gearing up for a show in Cape Town. After that he will be back and will start working on his third show, which I hope will be as interesting as Origami Red/rigami Gold with new materials and newer folds.