An inside view of the exhibit | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amid the chaos, a bright red canvas invites a second glance. A closer look reveals a typical Chennai scene: a crowd of people outside a TASMAC store on a weekend night.
On the other side of the wall is a yellow canvas with single pieces of cloth, each telling the story of the person who wore it. Not far away hangs a strange, tangled web of blue and rusty orange fishing nets, inspired by Kasimedu, a fishing hub in North Chennai, and its people. On another surface, there are blue circular discs that mimic Tamil Nadu walls, often with torn posters and unfinished letters, comparing vandalism as a form of expression Ayutha Ezhuthu In Tamil.
A cross section of the exhibit | Photo credit: special arrangement
The Lalit Kala Academy today is home to innumerable such clever interpretations of the city and its surroundings by the student-artists of Maisha Studio, aged between 13 and 23.
Curated by artist and silambam practitioner Aishwarya Mannivanan, the show is called Local ’24, which showcases over 100 artworks by 16 young artists. As simple as the name is, Aishwarya often sits for a while before introducing the theme to the students every year. This year was no different.
Aishwarya says, “I have a very strong connection with the places I live and visit. That is why we called it ‘local’ and not Chennai. We subconsciously form an attachment to where we are and where we go.” The idea of ​​developing a sense of rootedness and connection to the environment around us is important. Aishwarya reminds that making an effort to get closer to the people, the environment, the architecture and the art is part of this practice.
The young artists have been working on the show for the past four months. The research included field trips to Kasimedu, photo walks to the flower market in Parys and interactions with differently-abled artists. “We believe the strength of Chennai is its community spirit,” says Aishwarya.
The cast with Aishwarya Manivannan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Nithil S Kumar’s photography project, which has also been translated into a photo book, captures the people of Kasimedu in large, black and white portraits. “It was an eye-opening project. I usually spend a lot of time in Mylapore, where everyone is used to being photographed. Kasimedu is the opposite. People like to keep themselves aloof. So it took a lot of effort to get them to open up,” said the artist, whose learning from the project was based on the importance of being resourceful.
Ponni Ashok’s textile installation, which lights up a dark room with flashes of colour, features prints inspired by the backs of trucks, captured in moments of activity such as moving furniture. “I have abstracted a lot of it. This collection is made of 62 upcycled saris that were cut, screen printed and patch worked,” she explains. The artist has used some of the iconography to create new textile prints.
The students had to choose whether they wanted to sell or keep their works: they are priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000, and some of them have already found buyers.
For Aishwarya, the biggest takeaway from working with young artistes for over 13 years has been realising that because of the reach provided by social media, most young creatives are aware of what is happening on the other side of the world, as well as what is happening in the ‘here and now’.
Spread across mediums of local, photography, sculpture, painting, textile art and interactive media, this focus is an attempt to bring it back to the roots. And it does. The viewer feels the warmth that comes with relatability.
Local ’24 will run till June 20 at the Lalit Kala Academy, Egmore, Chennai.
