Group show to exhibit results of artists' four-week residency

An upcoming exhibition of multimedia artworks -- photographs, videos and sculptural installations -- that has been created by five recent art graduates and handpicked by an eminent jury is all set to enthrall art lovers in the capital.

"Peers Emerging Artists Show 2017" is presented by Khoj International Artists' Association and will be on display from June 22-25 at Khoj Studios in Khirki Extn. here.

This is the 14th edition of the Peers Show, where artworks are created over a period of a four-week residency at Khoj Studios, providing emerging artists a unique platform for dialogue, experimentation and exchange.

The artists are Ashish Dhola (Master's in Fine Arts from M.S. University, Vadodara), Sahil Naik (Master's in Fine Arts from M.S. University, Vadodara), Sagar Shiriskar (Master's in Cinematography from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune), Tanaya Kundu (Master's in Fine Arts from S.N. School of Arts and Communications, Hyderabad), and Vrishali Purandare (Master's in Fine Arts from Shiv Nadar University, Noida).

"Peers has been one of Khoj's pioneering programmes and continues to create a network of young artists from various art, architecture, media and design disciplines and put them in spaces of interaction with the larger creative community," Mario D'Souza, curator at Khoj, informed IANS.

She added that the aim of the Peers programme is to provide infrastructure, inspiration and mentorship to emerging artists and art practices.

"This year, Khoj invited artists and art educators Arun Kumar HG, Gigi Scaria, Rakhi Peswani and Rohini Devasher as the Peers 2017 jury," D'Souza added.

One connecting factor for all of their works is that they all revolve around or are characterized by peculiar aspects of city life.

For instance, 28-year-old Sagar Shiriskar has been inspired by the idea that God dwells both within and outside us.

"Mortal gods manifest themselves in tourist places and on festivals, on street corners and on stage. Why do people dress as Gods? For some it is a means to an income, for others it is a medium of expression or an extension of their faith. I try to capture these actors in their own space, in their performance of transforming into something beyond the regular," he said.

Sagar has also been photographing a "Katib" (a person who writes documents or traditional calligrapher), in Old Delhi's Urdu Bazaar, who is one of the few remaining practitioners of the dying art form.

On the other hand, 28-year-old Tanaya Kundu's practice is response against the oppression she has experienced in her life. From a very young age she was silenced each time she raised her voice against the inequality she faced at home.

"My feminine identity was always treated as a disadvantage and something to be controlled by the patriarchal power. Since I predominantly deal with my feminine identity, it is inevitable that issues and taboos related to women will surely be a part of my concern," she said.

She plans to hold a performance piece raising these concerns. At the same time, she will be showing photographs and videos that capture the changing and unpredictable character of Khirki area.

"People here mostly migrate from various parts of India and stay here on a contract basis. There are diverse mediators who make the deals. The highly suspicious and dubious approach in their body language makes them stand apart from the commoners. I am documenting the glimpses of the locale and their lives to understand why this place is distinct," she added.

--IANS

ss/ahm/vt