Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. So, thorns may not appeal to everyone but to artist Sandilya Theuerkauf these sharp objects have taken on a new meaning.
Titled Trail of Thorns, the 18 abstract sculptures by Sandilya will be unveiled this Saturday. The show is presented by KYNKYNY.com, the gallery that represents the artist. Talking about what inspired him to work with thorns, he says, “I have been exploring what it means to feel related or be a part of our physical surroundings, our landscapes, and the earth. Why do we feel so separated, alienated and fearful? This was an exercise to understand the landscape we are in. So it’s not just about thorns, but anything that one finds — rocks, flowers, wood or soil — that aids us to understand our surroundings better.”
The artist also reveals how critical it was for him to collect the thorns. He says it helped him get more familiar with landscapes. “The important part for me was the gathering (of thorns) which involved walking, looking and ‘being’ in places. By spending time outside, I felt related to the place and the plants. I became more familiar with the plant, by observing all the tiny details,” offers Sandilya.
Though thorns are discarded because of t h e i r s h a r p n e s s , Sandilya wants his sculptures to initiate a d i a l o g u e a b o u t nature. “I wanted t o b r i n g a n aspect of landscapes into focus. I kept the rawness of the material intact. I have tried to be sensitive to what the material lends itself to and worked with that rather than forcing my ideas. This need to retain the quality was in the hope that these can become a springboard for viewers to uncover the natural world for themselves,” he says.
The exhibition also includes the screening of a short film by Manush John, that captures Sandilya’s process of creating these sculptures.
Entry free. February 15-19, 11 am. At Bangalore International Centre, Domlur
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