The solo exhibition titled Sarva Sunyata by London-based artist Revati Sharma Singh dwells upon memories and metaphors to rethink present-day realities and assess future
possibilities, especially during the pandemic.
Presented by Delhi-based art gallery, Gallerie Nvya at Start Art Fair 2021 in London, the month-long show is garnering a lot of attention. Talking about the show, Revati says, “The exhibition is a ‘phygital’ one, with the physical exhibition over in London now, we are continuing with the virtual show online. My work aims to highlight the plight of people suffering from hunger and food wastage. Sarva Sunyata means complete silence. I even found order in the chaos which the pandemic threw at us.” According to Tripat Kalra, the owner of Gallery Nvya, Revati’s professionalism and rapport they share make them a winning pair. Next year too, they are planning to come together to showcase art on international platforms.
Revati’s affinity towards nature and its produce, its grains and its abundance started 10 years ago when she read a news report about how people are dying due to food shortage and the constant greed that led to mismanagement. “I clearly remember the day. It was May 2011, I was sitting with my mother who was diagnosed with cancer, going through pain. When I read the report I realised the pain of others and the need to highlight their plight through my work,” shares the artist. Revati is a self-taught artist who works with a variety of mediums like ceramic, cast metal, handmade silver, tapestry, embroidery and paint. Her practice began as a portrait artist 23 years ago and has since moved to abstract painting and installation art.
In Sarva Sunyata, she casts grains in varied materials and stitches them together so that they form maps of countries. Cutouts and drawings are placed over each other using rice paper forming various planes of visual découpages. There are even porcelain and ceramic works on display. “Initially I was working with oil on canvas for portraits, then after a while, I moved on to landscapes with a lot of textures and layers in acrylic. Next came the current series of works where I use grains, sterling silver, 18k and 22k gold, clay, oil, seeds and charcoal. I believe mediums can’t be a restricting factor,” Revati signs off.
— reshmichakravorthy@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @reshmi190488