'PRIYA Dube’s poetry and art speaks of her life' - Satarupa Bhattacharya

Art & Deal  Magzine 

New Delhi

Priya Dube (1992) was born to a family belonging to Uttar Pradesh in Sumesherpur. The family shifted to Bombay, where she was raised. Her journey in the field of the arts began at an early age when she began to sketch and draw her immediate surroundings. After she acquired a degree in interior designing, she worked as a designer for five years. Eventually, she found her calling as a fine art practitioner and began her practice from home.

Dube’s poetry and art speaks of her life: a life that she chose to rebel against the institutionalised setups with. Her works speak of her resistance to the inculcated practices of boundaries that has over the years become our identity. In a society of norms that includes language, marital status, class consciousness, and occupational constructs, the very act of making art and writing poetry has become a form of resistance.

Her art speaks a language of the inculcated systems of womanhood, whereby, womanhood is her boundary. This is the boundary she breaks with her installation of clothes lined up against the windowpane, which she calls “Your Thoughts Drying Under the Sun, Night will be Sunshine with Hair”. The installation speaks of how we hang our minds out to dry, while we mull over our situations on an everyday basis.

 The clothes lined up are a regular middle-class household sight, where lining them up is the easiest and fastest way to find them and arrange them. Her installation shows the convenience associated with her daily life, where she finds herself constantly rummaging through her surroundings for details that accentuate her being. Similarly, the self-portrait is an insight to how she looks at herself. A poem that describes her yearning to be one with what she looks at while looking deep within herself is included as the title and a part of the painting. Her words enunciate her desire and longing that she has buried within herself. This journey is not only spiritual but also political, where she discloses her utmost desire to be seen as a capable being and a desirable one at that. The genitals are so regularly decisive of what or who we should become and how prolifically homogenized is that idea that she creates several images of the vagina to dismount from the stationed notions of gender.Here, she includes a poem that describes the mood of the vagina. Thereby, she brings forth the point of consent and the dilemma of gendered desire. Her other works to speak of her daily interactions with her surroundings and with the core of her existence.

“Love Box with Smoking Ideas”, a depiction of several images from her everydays, and “Beautiful Mind”,a combination of several aestheticized pictures of people, are evocative of everything that has visually pleasured and plagued her. Such a range emphasizes her keen ability to look deep within and outside the peripheries of the society she struggles with as a woman and as a metropolitan individual.

All in all, Dube’s works are evocative of our every day, whereby, making it even more plausible for us to see what we don’t want to see. Her works enables us to see which we have seen every day and have functionally desensitised ourselves towards. Her anguish, her love,her desire, and her ability to mull over all that she is or is to become has all been set right in front of our eyes to witness. In doing so, we are not only witnessing her journey but the journey of our collective existence.Therefore, Dube’s works speaks of us all.

  Satarupa Bhattacharya

Nippon Gallery

30/32, 2nd Floor, Deval Chambers, 
Nanabhai Lane, Flora Fountain, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001/ Tel: 022 66333997
Mumbai, Maharashtra

ART & SOUL : Text Part III: Subaltern Sexuality-Body as Text

 ‘In literary theory, a text is any object that can be “read”, whether this object is a work of literature, a street sign, an arrangement of buildings on a city block or styles of clothing. It is a coherent set of signs that transmits some kind of informative message […]’ explains Wikipedia.

Recent work by Sudharak Olwe 

In contemporary Indian art we continue to evolve the genre of the human figure or portraiture as representations of our culture and its unspoken dimensions. The photographic portraitures may represent new dimensions of ( trans) sexuality, gender, queer groups or focus the unspoken through the subaltern. My focus is the gaze of the protagonist in the picture should meet the onlooker.     

Every human being experiences a discreet sexuality which is silently there, often in all human actions and expressions. Often these experiences are repressed, except gentle suggestions in human conversations. Sexuality is deeply silenced or means “layers of silencing” in common human experiences. Spaces and right to conversation about one’s sexuality/ sexual identity are few and nil  especially for the subalterns (economically, culturally and socially dispossessed). Consequently, “speech as expressions of sexuality” and ruthless violence are deeply entwined. 

Sexuality forms an important aspect of human identity. The discourse on sexuality breaks on the experiences of the “materiality” of the human body. There is no other consequence that shapes one’s sexuality than the materiality of the human body. How is one to negotiate these transforming inwardly human experiences during childhood-puberty onwards? What is the nature of subaltern sexuality? How does it manifest itself as a poignant reflection of the self for most humans? In “Subaltern Sexuality: Body as Text” one may be able to read the deeply unspoken, through-in the bodies of the protagonists. The incredible voices from within- its manifestation as a poetic content of the world or home (within) plays with inevitable control through punishments and silenced power abuses.

Sudharak Olwe  at Art & Soul Mumbai ( image source sudharak owle fb image) 

Sexuality is a bundle of energy when politicized- gets recognized in the “queer moment/s” that any given social/cultural space creates, making aware of one’s emerging/ transforming sexual identity. Several such moments become really poignant for oneself to observe also the rupture from within. A tearing inner voice acquires within as the gaze returned (looking at the camera lens). Often the bare gaze of the protagonist is layered and poetic with these expressions. The visuals are subtle and strong manifesting the unspoken in their meeting of gaze with the onlooker.   

Shubhalakshmi Shukla

Curator

1, Madhuli, Shiv Sagar Estate, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai, India
400018 Mumbai, Maharashtra

Get Directions

022 2496 5798

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www.galleryartnsoul.com

PIN POSTER : WORKSHOP at Nippon Gallery l Mumbai

30/32, 2nd Floor, Deval Chambers, Nanabhai Lane, Flora Fountain, Fort, Mumbai, 400 001, Maharashtra, India.Tel: 022 6633 3997

PIN POSTER : Nippon Gallery l Mumbai

30/32, 2nd Floor, Deval Chambers, Nanabhai Lane, Flora Fountain, Fort, Mumbai, 400 001, Maharashtra, India.Tel: 022 6633 3997

My body my life partner Isn't your body your life partner? Priya Dube Solo show at Nippon Gallery Fort Mumbai -1

PRIYA DUBE ( 26 ) was born in Sumesherpur, Uttar Pradesh. And she has been raised in the metropolitan city of Mumbai. Priya stays with her family in Mumbai. The artist began her professional career as a trained Interior Designer from Rachna Sansad Mumbai and has gradually veered towards visual art since the past four years. Her work comprises Multi-disciplinary art and as she mentions “I have learnt everything from my surroundings. Being self-taught, I have become an individual expressionist based on my keen observation towards the situations, people, emotions and my experiences”.

One of the abiding influences has been her North Indian family background which has been a unique amalgam of traditionalism and modernity! Growing up in such a milieu her body’s development from childhood to adulthood was a defining moment both in terms of her family’s outlook towards her and her exploration of her own body. She also mentions that it’s not about being feminist, it is about deeply connecting with one’s own self both physically and emotionally whether one is male or female. And then it is also about being in sync with accepting and fulfilling the body’s emotional and physical desires.

Self portrait

To be one

To be the one

I have crossed the bridges

Of thousand love stories

Now I incline

To

My body

My soul

To a new journey

Discover the new me

Nourish the new me

Embrace the new me

The body is the layer of lust and love

We crave for the lust to be loved

But not love the lust

They look at me

As if the story is common

I look at them that the story is uncommon

Having said that

You still kiss me under the moonlight

Thinking today I will moan

Saying your name

I crave for you

As you crave for me

We make love in the minds

 And

Fight between those words

Staying close to you gives me immense peace

Staying close to sea gives me the similar feeling

I ask myself do I love myself more than you

( smiles )

My body responds yes you do

I do I do I do

And we decide to be one

My body my life partner

Isn't your body your life partner?

Recen work at Nippon Gallery Fort Mumbai -1

Since the past one and half years I have spent a lot of tome delving deep into my body.  And I have transcended the societal boundaries I had imposed on myself all through my growing up years!  And I feel like a conqueror now!

The concept of this show began with photographs I clicked of my nude self to better connect with the forms of my body. As I started sensing every body part I developed a connection between them and my surrounding situations. I also clicked other pictures that gave me new stories which have been depicted in the pieces on display!

I choose mix media as my expression because I can narrate them in drawings, photography, film and audio. I believe in mix media because every expression touches a different sense of the body and this helps in giving a better connection to the story.

Friday Meet _ Nippon Gallery

Nippon Gallery

Nippon Gallery presents Priya Dube Solo show MY BODY IS MY LIFE PARTNER

Nippon Gallery

presents

Priya Dube

Solo show

MY BODY IS MY LIFE PARTNER

Painting I Sculptures I Drawing I Installation

Priya is all of 26 and her art has evolved along with her body

PREVIEW

Friday 21st June 2019 

7:00 pm

According to Revati, the self-reflection stemming from challenges related to exclusion... - Hansodnya Tambe

Inquisitiveness is a basic human instinct. The urge to process and analyse visual information is the genesis of artistic innovation. Remembrance of things past is a result of the beholder’s visual sensitivity and unyielding curiosity. It is through this prism that a human seeks to track the central focal points of his life, i.e. through contemplation. It serves as a means to delve into the depths of art. ‘Art’ is the essence of human experience. Concepts such as existence, love, pleasure, or truth are abstract forms of artistic visual creations.

An artist’s painting is nothing but an attempt to self-contemplate through in-depth exploration of various visual forms. Such quest resides at the core of any true artist or connoisseur.  It is precisely such inquisitive exploration that forms the basis of Revati’s paintings. Her academic training in Fine Arts, and deep deliberations on her themes, is evident in her creative expressions. 

The artist’s clarity about her character’s personalities, and her endeavour to use them for discovering intellectually-stimulating visual forms serve as a means to view her paintings. She believes her concepts are deep-rooted in everyday experiences. According to Revati, the self-reflection stemming from challenges related to exclusion, interpersonal conflicts, despair, denial, or rejection set us on unknown pathways/ odysseys. Painting is one such pathway, and in such creative expression lies art, she says. Simply put, paintings are a gateway. They help enhance one’s personal life through experiential knowledge, as much as truth, compassion, happiness, love, etc. do. Life itself is an inspiration then. 

Revati’s visual expression uses familiar experiences, thoughts, objects, structures, settings, and pictorial elements, presenting them as a story board/ screenplay, making the different works seems like a serialized novel. The viewers are free to interpret the paintings their own way, since ‘storyline’ is the prominent premise of each artwork, which can be subjective. The sketches, forms, textures, and compositions in her paintings sometimes veer towards realism. However, at the point where the (metaphorical) representation of the visual inquisitiveness transcends towards extremely-realistic depictions – is where her art becomes mysterious – requiring careful coding-decoding of the visuals to enjoy its best impact. It appears that the story has been narrated through discerning occupation of the entire canvas space using visual forms, instead of dividing it.

A lot of artists strive to subdue or inflate their egos or entities, during their process of self-contemplation. Such attempts seem absent in Revati’s paintings. Curiosity appears to be the prime driver of creation, giving the figures, shapes, colours and textures in her paintings, a touch of naivety or innocence. The works are sprinkled with dreamy poeticism. One of the works evinces the visual sensitivity of the realist painter and printmaker, Edward Hopper. There is an urban tone to the treatment of the paintings, as well as the rendering and application of colours. The passionate pursuit to carve out one’s own emotional, imaginative, and inquisitive space amid the comfortable, yet chaotic life of the city is evident through the series.

It is imperative that art must be viewed with an open mind and a clean heart, with total devotion and submission. And only once the ‘viewing’ is done, that the process of ‘feeling’ begins. That’s how it is!

- Hansodnya Tambe

hansodnya@gmail.com 

जिज्ञासूदृश्यघडण

'जाणणे' हा मनुष्याचा गुणधर्म आहे.दृश्य जिज्ञासूवृत्ती ही कलेच्या अन्वेषणाची जननी आहे. पाहण्याची संवेदनशीलता व जिज्ञासूवृत्ती यामुळे स्मृतीरूपांची शृंखला तयार होते.यातून मनुष्य जीवनाच्या केंद्रस्थानी स्वःताला रूजवू पाहतो.हा स्वाध्याय आहे. तेव्हा आपण कलेच्या गाभाऱ्यात पोहचतो.'कला' मानवी जीवनाचा अनुभव आहे.जीवन, प्रेम, आनंद, सत्य ही कलेच्याच दृश्य जीवनमितिची अदृश्य रूपं आहेत.

चित्रकृती मधून दृश्य जिज्ञासाच्या रूपाने आत्म-अन्वेषण करणे. हा चित्रकारांचा, रसिकांचा स्वभाव गुणधर्म आहे. जिज्ञासेचा हाच गुणधर्म 'रेवती' यांच्या चित्रकृतींचा आधार आहे.इथे जिज्ञासा हि रेवती यांच्या चित्रकृतींची जननी आहे. हे चित्रकृतीतून दिसून येते.

रेवती यांच्या कला शिक्षणाचा, रीतसर कलाअभ्यास व अध्ययन पूर्ण झाले असून, चित्र अभिव्यक्ती करताना तें त्याचा योग्य उपयोग करतात.रेवती यांच्या चित्रकृतींचा स्वभाव व स्वतःच्या चित्र निर्मितीच्या बाबतचा, दृश्य वैचारिक शोधबोध, हा त्यांच्या व्यक्तीगत पातळीवर स्पष्ट असल्याने, त्यांच्या विचारांच्या आधारे त्यांच्याच चित्रित दृश्याला पाहण्याचा एक मार्ग सापडतो. त्या म्हणतात त्यांचे विषय जीवनानुभवाशी निगडीत आहेत.जीवनांत येणारे मानवीय संघर्ष, असंतोष, अपवर्जनांची आह्वाने, अस्वीकार, निराशा, आणि असहमतीचा प्रभाव यातून आपण आत्म-अन्वेषण करून मार्गस्थ होतो. हा एक मार्ग म्हणजे 'चित्रकृती' किंवा अभिव्यक्ती होय. यालाच त्या कला असे म्हणतात. म्हणजे चित्रकृती एक महाद्वार आहे.सत्य,आनंद, प्रेम करूणा या बरोबरच स्वताचे ज्ञानानुभवात्म्क व्यक्तिगत जीवन समृध्द करायला चित्र योगदान करतात.त्यांना ही जीवन यात्राच प्रेरणा देते.

रेवती यांच्या सचित्र दृश्यअनुभवाचा मार्ग हा सभोवतालच्या ओळखीचा अनुभव, विचार, वस्तू,वास्तु, निसर्ग, दृश्य यातील आकारीक अनुभव कथांना, कथनरुपात साकारत चित्रकृती पूर्ण करतात.म्हणून त्यांची दृश्य सचित्र कांदम्बरीच्या शृंखलेत साकारलेली जाणवतात. म्हणून त्यांच्या चित्रकृतींची स्वभावभाषा सचित्र नवनीत कथापटाप्रमाणे भासतें.

'कथन' हे चित्रांचे मुख्य वैशिष्ट्य असल्याने, तें प्रत्येक रसिकांनी स्वताच्या अनुभव संचितानुसार अनुभवावे.चित्रकृतीत रेखाटन,आकार,पोत, रचना, याद्वारे दृश्यकथन गुंफताना, दृश्यकथानक कधी कधी अतिवास्त्वाच्या यथार्थ चित्रणाकडे वळणघेते. चित्रकर्तीच्या जिज्ञासेचा वास्तवातल्या रूपकाकडून, कल्पनेतील अतिवास्तवाच्या रूपाकडे कल गेलेला दिसून येतो.तेव्हा ती चित्रकृती गुढ होवू लागते.मग दृश्यांचे कूट (कोडिंग) उकल (डिकोडिंग)करत चित्रकृतींचा रसास्वाद घ्यावा लागतो. चित्रांमध्ये अवकाश विभाजनापेक्षा, अवकाश आकारीक संवेदनेने व्यापून दृश्य कथन चितारलेले दिसते.

आत्म-अन्वेषण करतांना स्वताचे अस्तित्व, अहंकार शमविण्यासाठी किंवा वाढवण्यासाठी अनेक चित्रकृतीकार प्रयत्न करतातच.याची छटा रेवती यांच्या कृतीत दिसत नाहीत. येथे फक्त जिज्ञासा दिसूनयेतेम्हणून त्यांच्या चित्रातील आकृती, आकार,रंगअंग, पोत, रचना, अप्रौढ, निरागस, अप्क्व, निष्पाप धाटणीच्या दिसून येतात. चित्रकृतीत स्वप्नील काव्यमयता विखुरलेली आहे. एका चित्रकृती मध्ये एडवर्ड हॉपर सारखी दृश्यसंवेदना स्पर्शून जाते.शहरीधाटणीची संवेदना व रेखाटन, रंगलेपन पद्धती आहे.समृध्द जीवनाच्या अडगळीत व शहरीकरणातील जगण्यात स्वताच्या भाव विश्वाचा, कल्पनारम्य विश्वाच्या वातावरणात जिज्ञासूवृत्तीने शोध घेण्याचा पूर्ण प्रयत्न दिसून येतो.

   

मनांतला ओरखडा आज बहरून आला । 

                                      आठवणींच्या फुलांचा सडा पडून गेला ॥ 

   

कला हि निसंशय श्रध्दा असेल तरच अनुभवता येते. कलाकृती हि विश्वास ठेवूनच पहावी लागतें. पहाणं पूर्ण झाले की, जाणवणे शुरू होते. इतकंच! 

-   हंसोज्ञेय तांबे

मानवाची गोष्टी .- .हंसोज्ञेय तांबे .

मन हे चंचल असते .असे म्हणतात .बुध्दी जर बुध्दासारखी असली,  तर तिचा सांस्कृतिक परिणाम अनेक अंगांनी बहरेल .यांत कोणाला शंका असता कामा नये . कलेला मानवा कडून कोणतीच अपेक्षा नसते .म्हणून ती मानवाची उपेक्षा करत नाही .जातिवंत कलावंतसुध्दा कलेकडून कोणतीच अपेक्षा करत नाही .आणि तो कलेची उपेक्षा हि करत नाही .त्यामुळे आत्ता कलेची उपेक्षा थांबवा असे म्हणणे .हे धादांत खोटं आहे . म्हणजे बघा .राजकीयदृष्ट्या राजकीय क्षेत्राचा आणि कलेचा काहीएक काडीमात्र संबंध नसतो .कृती किंवा वस्तु चा संबंध असतो .तो सुध्दा राजकीय  वापर व उपयोग यांवर आधारित असतो .राजकीय क्षेत्र व कलेचा संबंध नाही हे तथाकथित कला इतिहास वाचल्यावर कळून येईलच.तेव्हा तें तथाकथित कलेसाठी (कृतीसाठी)चा संबंध आहे. हे सिध्द होईलच . 

तें कळेलही.काही मानवनिर्मित कृती चा संबंध काही तज्ञांनी (डॉक्टरेट) राजकीय इतिहासाशी जोडल्याने तो सामान्य जनतेला कळेनासा झालाय .तो संबंध राजकारणी लोकांनी राजकीय हेतू साठीच वापरला हे नाकारता येत नाही .म्हणून आजही राजकारणी लोकांनी संबंध जोडल्याने, कलेचा नाही.पण वस्तु व कृती चा वापर होतोय .म्हणून त्यांना राजकीय लोकांना कलेचे ज्ञान नसते .मग ती मंडळी कलेदृष्टीने ज्ञानशुन्य असणारी निजपतील नाही तर काय.त्यांना राजकीय क्षेत्रात रस नसता , तर तें कदाचित कलेचे उपासक झाले असते .ना ! .जगभरात , चौकाचौकात ज्यां कृती आपण पाहतो त्या कला नसून त्या राजकीय , सामजिक , काही अंशी मानवाच्या अहंकाराच्या अस्तित्वाच्या चिन्हंरूप कृती आहेत .ज्याला आपण सारे तथाकथित कला म्हणून संबोधत असतो ? वस्तु किंवा कृती ही हेतूपूर्वक उभारावी यांचे भान महत्वाचे आहे .पण होत नाही उभारली जाऊ शकत नाही कारण कोणाचेच (राजकारण्यांनचे) हेतूपूर्वक कृती भान नसते .असूच शकत नाही .जे उभारले जाते .ती फ़क्त कृती पूर्ण वस्तु होऊन राहते .वस्तुरूपकृती ने जर कलेकडे काही अंशी निर्देश जरी केला तरी कृती चे सौंदर्य उपयोगी मूल्य वाढते .मग त्याच्या वापरातली किंमत किती हे महत्वाचे राहत नाही .हे न कळल्याने त्यांना सौंदर्यमूल्य तरी कसे कळणार हा प्रश्न आहेच .कलेचा कधीच प्रोजेक्ट होऊ शकत नाही .वस्तु कृती चा प्रोजेक्ट होतो .कबीरांनी शेलें विणले तें प्रोजेक्ट बनवून नाही तें कलेतूनच घडवले असावेत .कला शिक्षणाचा बोजवारा वाढत आहे .असे म्हणणे म्हणजे सश्याला शिंगे होती असं म्हणण्यासारखे आहे .कारण कला कोणत्याही संस्थेत शिकवली जाऊ शकत नाही .ती जीवनातील शाळेत स्वाध्यायी मार्गानेच कळते .हे सत्य कोण नाकारणार , तेच ज्याना यांचे ज्ञान नाही तेंच असतील .एकमात्र खरं कृतीजन्य शिक्षण याकडे दुर्लक्षच झाले परिणामी बोजवारा वाढत आहे .हे एक कारण आहे .कृतीशिक्षण हे योग्य कसे द्यायचे यांचे योग्य ज्ञानशिक्षण शासनातलें कलाशिक्षक आणि शासनात नसणारे कला शिक्षक व कलाक्लासवाले यांना नाही हे लक्षण दिसून येते .यावरच उपचार होणे गरजेचे वाटते .

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कला किंवा कृती अभ्यासनारे तथाकथित  कलाशिक्षक आहेतच कोठे ? कलाप्रतिनिधी की लोकप्रतिनिधी ? लोकप्रतिनिधी यांना कलेविषयी जाण नाही कारण तें राजकीय क्षेत्रातले आहेत .तें कलारसिक नसून राजकीय सत्तारसिक आहेत.त्यांना जाण असती तर तें तथाकथित कलेतील शिक्षणाच्या अडचणीवर पर्याय काढत कलासमाजात वावरले असते .कला कृती संस्कृती अनेक अंगांनी बहरली असती .प्रत्येक खंड , राष्ट्र हे त्यांच्या त्यांच्या रितीरिवाजाने  सांस्कृतिकदृष्टया  समृद्ध असतेच.म्हणून तें आजही जिवंत आहे .सांस्कृतिकराष्ट्र ही संकल्पना विकसित करणे , म्हणजे ही संकल्पनाच जणू संस्कृती नसलेले राष्ट्र असा संदर्भ पसरवू पहात आहे .असे सूचित होते .कलेला राष्ट्राची गरज नसते .ती स्वतंत्र आहे .तिला जातपातधर्म नाही .ज्या वस्तु वास्तु कृती प्रत्यक्षात आहेत.त्यांना कदाचित राष्ट्राची गरज भासत असेल .कारण उपयोग आणि वापर महत्वाचा आहे . ही एका मानवाची गोष्ट आहे .

आपला सभोवताल संवेदनशील होऊन जगू लागलो की सर्व प्रकारचे संघर्ष कमी होतात .मानसिक व्याधींपासून निर्माण होणाऱ्या चित्रशिल्पकृती मध्ये घट होते .बौध्दिक कसरती मधून निर्माण होणाऱ्या चित्रशिल्पकृती मध्येही घट होते .मग प्रदर्शन करण्यापेक्षा दर्शन घडवण्याकडे आपण जगण्याच्या अनेक स्तरांवर जगू लागतो .तेव्हा कला फ़क्त राहते .माणुस , राष्ट्र,  देश , खंड  यामधील कल्पनेत न जगता तो त्यातच वावरतो .तेव्हा  सुखापेक्षा आनंदाच्या संवेदनशील अवस्थेत तो जगतो .त्याच्या जगण्यात आणि वागण्यात भेद रहात नाही .तिथेच कला दर्शन त्याला प्रथम होते आणि त्यांच्या व्यक्त होण्याच्या कोणत्याही कृतीतून तें जाणवू लागते .तिच त्याची म्हणून कला असतेच ...इतकंच …

एका मानवाची गोष्ट आहे .

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