“Manahsthiti” by artist Shubhra Chaturvedi
Manahsthiti is an ongoing series of works by artist Shubhra Chaturvedi. The collection is a reflection on the events and situations of the times, their impact on the society at large, and the artist's mind in particular. The manifestation of an artist’s inner churnings and the turmoil within the society, the show also delves into man-woman relationships in this context—the emotional cycles they experience individually and together, juxtaposed with the realities of the society. These moments of truth and empirical experiences one encounters each day go on to describe the manahsthiti or the state of mind of the artist. A journey that began in Delhi now comes to Mumbai with select works from the earlier collection and a preview of some new works.
Venue: Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai
Date: April 10 – 16, 2018, 11 am to 7 pm
Note: Manahsthiti in Mumbai is Shubhra’s 5th Solo Show.
“Manahsthiti” by artist Shubhra Chaturvedi
“Manahsthiti”- essentially means the state of mind. The mind at any given point of time is
largely a concoction of external factors and the internal chaos which defines one's existence.
Shubhra through the exhibits in this series tries to reflect on the events and situations in the
World and their impact on the artist’s mind and her internal self. Apart from being a narrative on
the society’s turmoil, the artist’s work also brings out her own inner churning.
Manahsthiti also explores the man-woman relationship in this context. The various emotional
cycles experienced by them individually and together and the realities that stand in our face
today as a society. These moments of truth and empirical experiences one encounters each day
go on to describe the Manahsthiti or state of mind of the artist.
Each day’s manahsthiti is different and unique. It is defined and redefined by the sum total of
all that was, is and could be…
Venue: Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Date: October 1 – 5, 2015
Note: Manahsthiti is a crowd funded exhibition. The artist was able to meet 100 per cent of
the target, thanks to her contributors, supporters and sponsors.
Maayaa", a group exhibition of photographs and video installations with a focus on women artists, which provides a take on image making that is both insightful and expansive. "Maayaa" is a show which captures the perception of feminity from a feminine viewpoint. Unlike painting and sculpture, photography has neither a strong academic tradition with requirements for entry nor has it been a male bastion that was hard to breach; traditionally women photographers have just forged ahead. The advent of cheaper technology for the camera has not only ensured that the medium has become more democratic but it has also leveled the playing field further and provided women practitioners with infinite possibilities of redefining themselves. The show curated by "CAMERAunLIMITED combines the work of both emerging and established practitioners and the nine visual artists on display offer a wide variety of styles, viewpoints and intentions.
In her third solo show Samanvay, fusion between the themes of abstraction and form and their inter-relationship have been explored. This collection brings together a more expressive tenor, using colour, texture and materials to give force and effect to the themes, testing the concept of coordination. Figures, now liberated from their devotion to physical perfection, appear as drooping and imperfect, alongside lyrical dream-like spaces; the intended imperfections bring the figures closer to our perception of reality. Binaries, as the positive and negative of the image are bracketed in the same frame. Variegated materials, techniques and textures form apt tools to portray these dualities. Some works present a detailed exploration of forms, while the use of colour conjures up a play of movement and stillness. The photo art collection uses a similar layered effect as the paintings and captures the ruptured wholes, which evoke certain emotions and carry certain moods. Through her photo art as well as through her paintings, the artist has met head-on the challenges offered by the different media that she has chosen to explore and demonstrated her penchant to experiment and grow.
TRANSITION - The arms of the clock tick away, a pertinent reminder of the transitional in the eternal. The daily passage of the sun, its varying light creating a chiaroscuro that enthralls. The tranquil bubbling of the brook in sheer contrast to the roar of the ocean...a seed germinates...a leaf withers away and makes its way back to the ground...cycles that run silently...this constant motion translates onto MAN! "Development, Sustainability, Nano Technology, Progress - Hasn't man been in constant TRANSITION?" The group show interposed these questions and abstract these qualities via the photographic medium. Photo enthusiasts from various backgrounds are mentored by professional photographers Shailan Parker and Joginder Singh. TRANSITION was a combined output of these passionate explorers of light.
This group photography show displayed the visual impact that Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, had on the serious photographers that participated in the Landscape Photography workshop organized by PHOTOSENSITIVE and led by professional photographers Shailan Parker and Joginder Singh. The images were an artistic exploration of the topography, inhabitants and the culture of this desolate yet beautiful region.
If Jharokha, gave a peek into artist's creative world then Nirantar… offered us much more. The latest offering from the artist brought together her ambidextrous vocation to the fore. Both the canvas and the camera came together in this show, beautifully melding into a harmonious orgy of colours and forms. The canvas straddles both the formalistic inclination of abstraction and the presence of figuration. Her photo-art series follow the thematic of the abstract in that the geometries of lines, forms and curves are explored. The works did not lose sight of colour in any way. This show presented a perpetuation of the earlier vision only the new emerged from the old. After all the old carries the seeds which holds the trace of the new and then the new in turn holds the trace of the old. Evolution and creation thus became affirmative principles of this show.
Jharokha is a reflection of myself. All my paintings are a self expression of what's inside my head and heart. Each time when I am in front of my canvas, the experience is different. With every work I see a new light and try to bring it out in forms, textures, color application et al. It has been a very enriching and rewarding journey so far both as an artist and as a person. It is believed that whatever is inside comes out on the canvas. As an artist I would be fortunate if I can spread a little cheer and add some more colours to this already beautiful world.
Chandratal Blues was an exploration of the Upper Himalayas by the participants of Photosensitive's Photo-Trek Safari in June 2009. Twelve passionate photographers from various walks of life participated in the workshop and came back with peeled noses and a skillfully woven mosaic of images that capture the changing colors of the lake...the azure skies...the ruggedness of the mountains and the enchanting beauty of the tiny flora... For almost a week, the photographers roughed it out, trying to capture the bio diversity of the upper himalayas.