Ravi Kumar Kashi’s new show captures how Bengaluru has evolved over the past decade

From signboards of ‘puncher’ and ‘Xerox’ shops to images of Mahatma Gandhi, these visual mnemonics that are part of Bengaluru’s evolving cultural fabric are key elements in Ravi’s works
One of the artworks by Ravi Kumar Kashi
One of the artworks by Ravi Kumar Kashi

When you've spent nearly a lifetime living in one city, how differently can you perceive it every day? Even if you have an artistic frame of mind, can you view your town as a unique entity that has an intriguing nar rative? Seasoned Bengaluru-based artist Ravi Kumar Kashi attempts to do just this with his new show titled The Unruly Syntax. The city is a rich landscape of ideas that has helped him create 21 artworks that his new show is composed of.  They are inspired by Bengaluru’s evolution over the last decade.

On the grid
From signboards of ‘puncher’ and ‘Xerox’ shops to images of Mahatma Gandhi, these visual mnemonics that are part of Bengaluru’s evolving cultural fabric are key elements in Ravi’s works. These symbols and other ubiquitous imagery from around us are all pieced together in a grid concept, and this creates an insightful visual commentary. Talking about how the idea was born, Ravi explains, “I have been documenting the visual culture of the city for more than a decade, and I also wrote a book (Flexing Muscles in 2019). While writing it, I brought out all the images I had shot of the city from my archives. But it was only two years ago when I was teaching about grid to architecture students at RV College of Engineering, that I chanced upon the idea of working with a grid, to put my thoughts in order.”

Ravi Kumar Kashi
Ravi Kumar Kashi

The grid concept offered Ravi the freedom to cut images and split pictures, while he streamlined his thoughts. The artist, who has also documented flex hoardings and signboards, and has made innumerable notes about how the use of imagery has changed over the years, used all these inputs when working on artworks during the 2020 lockdown.

Between the lines
This show, a mix of horizontal and vertical grids, captures the nuances that essentially make Bengaluru the metropolitan city it is. Signboards in Kannada and English, posters advertising hair transplants for men, auto advertisements for the repair of electronic appliances, and pin-up posters of Tipu Sultan, Bhagat Singh, and the Hindu god Ram — all these pictures and images perhaps communicate a hidden meaning. Some of these are also indicative of the politics of caste and power. “For example, there’s a visual of Johnny Walker walking in one direction and Gandhi walking in the opposite direction. I have not tried to align any of these images in a particular way. There are images within the paintings that keep triggering alternate meanings. There are political comments and overtones but they are expressed in a subtle way. If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, it’s fine!” he says. For visitors, whether natives or newcomers to the city, Ravi’s exhibition is like a visual encyclopedia that showcases the transformation of Bengaluru from being a quiet town to a vibrant, dynamic metro.

Until January 22, 2022. At Gallery Sumukha, Wilson Garden
ayeshatabassum@ newindianexpress.com
@aishatax

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