Using traditional craft techniques in combination with materials such as steel wire, sequin dust, beads, thread, resin, nails, and more, Delhi artist Puneet Kaushik aims to provide an unconventional and modern representation of traditional art practices through his solo exhibition.
‘Threads of Time - The Material Memoirs of Puneet Kaushik’, an exhibition that was unveiled at Gallery Espace, New Friends Colony on December 3, 2021, will be on display till January 12.
Kaushik’s artworks—made during the lockdown—are an ode to creativity and the rich traditional crafts of India.
“I am very drawn to this particular poem by Walt Whitman [Song of the Open Road, 1855]. He writes, ‘Still here I carry my old delicious burdens, I carry them, men and women, I carry them with me wherever I go. I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them, I am fill’d with them, and I will fill them in return.’ I, too, bear the burden of carrying forward their [the creative individuals he has met while travelling] cultural legacies, when I use their techniques in my quest to explore new mediums and meanings in my work,” he shares.
Paying homage to the master craftspersons who have taught and influenced him through the years, Kaushik’s works attempt to incorporate heritage craft techniques into contemporary art.
A mirror to society
The 49-year-old artist—Kaushik is originally from Rajasthan—“excavates and exposes the socio-cultural layers” through his life experiences while also commenting on the creative struggle that an artist faces when creating art.
His work weaves personal and collective histories of a generation, which has moved to urban spaces and has been impacted by economic inflation as well as the “Emergency of 1975-76”.
As an artist, Kaushik mentions, “I must react to the material, the technique, the culture, and the world I am surrounded by. I create so that the eye can see what the inner eye knows.” His pieces are abstract and not confined to “conventionally beautiful works of art”.
He adds, “I hope that the viewer who also lives in my time is able to respond to them. I do believe that they do feel the intensity and realise the beauty in imperfection.”
Materials of the world
Kaushik refuses to be confined to the prosaic parameters of art. Instead, by using everyday materials like paper, dead flowers, nails, among others, he offers a realistic and tangible representation of history. Using such materials, he embroiders and crochets a mesh of fibre and metal.
“All that the world impressed upon me, I reconstituted [that] in a plethora of mediums. The final installation, though intimate and visceral, disrupts the viewer’s understanding of the linearity of time, history, and lived experience.”
Exploring a gamut of emotions—both personal and collective—Kaushik’s exhibition is a visual testimony to the passage of time. The show can also be viewed virtually on the Gallery Espace’s website.