A simple love for art from a painter and wildlife photographer, MD Parashar, evolved into decades-worth of artistry that reflected the dedication and love he had for Ranthambore’s wildlife and its society. His artistic legacy, which he elegantly crafted with domestic lampblack (soot) and a crumpled newspaper as a nib, brings him back to Bengaluru after almost 26 years. This time, he brings with him Whispers of the Wild, an exhibition curated by Artenblu and in collaboration with Martial Motors Volvo. Ahead of this showcase, the artist engages in a freewheeling chat with us, discussing why this medium of art is the simplest and most accessible to everyone and how the origin story for his love for it has sustained over the years.
Highlighting the fascinating interplay of science in this medium, Parashar further highlights how a paper used as a nib best utilises this volatile material. “Since the powder is concentrated and just by turning the paper eight times, a paper nib is created. The nib becomes so hard that it acts as a nail,” he explains, further adding, “And I want to come to Bengaluru to show exactly this process. And now, I have been doing this for the last 40 years. Without taking a single rupee, without any formality, my students come here to my space.”
Discussing his discovery of the soot material from a heavily neglected kerosene lamp, Parashar narrates how he first interacted with it. “My mother had asked me to clean a broken kerosene lamp. It hadn’t been cleaned for the last 15 days and I did so very lovingly. After I cleaned the glass completely, I noticed that where there is an exhaust hole from where the smoke should go out, it was completely blocked by this powder and it had frozen over the past 15 days. So I took a stick and started scratching it and as soon as I touched it, it fell and started spreading,” he recollects, further adding, “I thought that I had increased my work in the process of cleaning it. So, in a hurry, I took a sketch book and tried to collect the soot that was spreading. I realised that this process gave me 10 to 12 different shades of black and white. Therefore, I thought if such tones can be made by rubbing the soot on the paper, then texture can be made. If the texture is made, then the painting can take shape.”
Parashar’s visit to Bengaluru reflects his simple ideology of making his art form accessible to everyone and how the powder of smoke can be used to create anything imaginable. “I am coming to Bengaluru just to show people that if we want to make a painting, then without spending a single rupee, no investment, no pencil, pen, eraser or charcoal — we can do so. So, I want it to retain that element of surprise,” says the artist signing off.