Of Journeys Mapped, Unmapped: Vidya Menon I Shepherd and the Slave: Balaji Ponna
In a woman’s world: Rekha Rodwittiya I Arriving at the Self: Poonam Agarwal
A true freedom: Meenal Jain I Keeping the Faith: Radhika Seksaria
Her Myths to Graph: Rithika Merchant
Vibhuti Sharma, Nilotpal Dhwaj Sinha, Charanjeet Singh, Chhering Negi, Ghazala Parveen, Hans Shinde
Susham Sabnis & Paramjot Walia
The works of Balaji Ponna serve as an insightful polemic on the socio-political issues crippling the country today. Balaji is a MFA (graphics) from Santiniketan and in his earlier works one can see the deep rooted concern expressed by this young artist through his text-phrases based works or his sculptural explorations. Balaji is a versatile artist who works in various unconventional and intermingling mediums, like terracotta, mixed media on wood, oil and soot on canvas, old photographs reused to create art works often with accompanying painted text phrases to set off the idea behind it. Balaji’s works have been known to be anachronic, often questioning the inconsistencies in a system with the muffled weapons of sarcasm and puns. Though his works seem to register a visual and conceptual complaint against an event or a situation, swiftly brushed under the carpet of bureaucracy or other eminent authority, the artist does not seem to give up the hope of a better society. His sculpture ‘Gopal and Gulam’, a fibre glass with mixed media work, displayed at India Art Festival 2013, openly draws a formal reference to Gilbert and George’s ‘Singing Sculpture’. Adapting it to the gaping issue of class divide in contemporary Indian society even today, the artist creates the ‘Begging Sculpture’ focusing on an issue of consistent neglect.
The work depicts sculptures of public figures, painted using metallic paint, the sculpture, ’Gopal and Gulam’ also raise s the issues of the populist leadership cult in the country. The artist believes that the sculptures refer to an uprootedness and displacement of this class which he depicts by hinting at the baggage along with the sculpture. Actually, the artist subtly presents the viewer with a mirror, with the intent of making one see the uncontested acceptance of this strata of humanity, the beggar and the under-privileged class of individuals who the privileged and the higher society have naturally, almost detachedly, accepted into their psyche. This sculpture is an attempt by the artist to make the viewer rethink their interpretations of Gopal and Gulam, from their position as social and private beings.
Sushma Sabnis
