Known for his depictions of the struggles of the poor in urban landscapes, iconic artist Sudhir Patwardhan will be presenting a three-panel lithograph typically dealing with his interests in migration, language and communication between peoples at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, starting December 12.
Mumbai-based Patwardhan, whose paintings are part of several public and private collections around the globe, has also contributed Rs 10 lakh to the second edition.
Gracing KMB 2014 with 'Encounters in Time', Patwardhan's work features three panels that are 15 feet in height.
"It is a triptych in response to 'Whorled Explorations'," notes Patwardhan, referring to the focal theme of the 108-day exhibition being curated by Jitish Kallat, who is the artistic director of KMB 2014 KMB that showcases works of 94 artistes from 30 countries.
The central panel depicts The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel and Monument to the Third International by Russian artist Vladimir Tatlin while the third is about man's exploration into space.
"There I think about mathematics and science which are considered to be beyond language. But can humans really transcend language?" added the 65-year-old artist.
Kallat noted that Patwardhan's painting "is wonderfully layered", and that it pieces together explore twin human impulses towards migration and settlement.
"The first panel in the triptych refers back in time, while the third panel depicts a not so distant future and man's conquest of other planets," he said. "His contribution to KMB is invaluable not just as much-needed resources but as a deep expression of solidarity."
Patwardhan had visited the Biennale sites here in May this year, and was enamoured by the history of the region and the "gorgeous trees in the area", prompting him to chip in to the second edition of KMB.
"What interested me is that this is an international level event with top names from around the world exhibiting here, but it still reaches out to the common man on the street," said Patwardhan, who gave up his practice as a radiologist in 2005 to focus more fully on his art.
"I found on my Kochi visit earlier this summer that this is not a corporate programme, but a project that is built by a team of people who are dedicated and passionate about it. That is why I want to be part of it.
