Bringing together the work of four artists, Mausam examines the evolution of places, people, memories and environments, and how these changes shape our collective sense of belonging. Taking everyday encounters that interlink one generation to the next, the showcase draws on the elements that shape communities, while exploring humanity’s relationship with nature.
Rather than looking at memory through nostalgia, the artists use lived experiences and inherited stories to question our relationship with a rapidly changing natural world. The exhibition also looks at stories that endure and ones that are overlooked. Through ideas of return, reflection and renewal, Mausam invites viewers to look more closely at the experiences that shape how we remember, respond and relate to the world around us.
For Noida-based artist Monika Singh, her 100-piece manual drawing titled Fly in…….high was inspired by morning visits to the Peacock Lake on the University of Hyderabad’s campus. “While quietly observing the little happenings on my early morning walks — sunrises, flocks of birds, passing of deer — the birds’ flight was probably the most captivating. I really wanted to rewind every movement,” Monika explains.
Exploring the aspects of painting, drawing, video art and digital media, the artist’s practice emerges from intuitive journaling. Her work in the exhibition depicts the constant changes in the movement of a bird — even in the duration of a blink. “Translucent layers helped me in achieving movement in 2D and stationary surfaces. Sketches help me to revisit that particular moment,” she explains. Focusing on solitude and belonging, emotional complexity, movement and stillness and the relationship between inner states and surrounding landscapes through observation and drawing, she translates moods, experiences, and fragments of time into visual forms.
As the artist finds bliss in observing small happenings in nature, she encourages viewers of her work to do the same. “I want viewers to take a little time for themselves and try to observe or do the things in which they find bliss — it’s something digital media cannot ever replace.
Another artist, Kethavath Vijay, focuses on seasonal changes in the environment and uses his observations to highlight the impact of those changes, capturing his visual representations on paper. “My practice is mostly about farming landscapes through embedded imagery, memories, stories, and struggles,” Vijay explains.
Using handmade paper made from fibres left over after the harvest, the artist processes them and creates a surface that carries the imprint of the land, human touch, and countless living beings. “My work showcases how we’re connected through land and farming practices, and how it is shaping this contemporary era,” he says. “I want viewers to observe my work from that point of view.”
On view till Sept 13. 11 am to 7 pm. At Maison D’Art, Banjara Hills.