Emerging Palettes showcases diverse artworks from artists across different cities, featuring their initial creative endeavours

Artists perceive life differently, reflecting their thoughts and experiences through various mediums to create art. Srishti Art Gallery’s 14th edition of Emerging Palettes, showcases this distinct vision. The exhibition showcases emerging artists who recently completed their Masters in Arts. This talented group from diverse backgrounds presents their early works in painting, graphics, sculpture, and mixed media.

The owner of the gallery who is also the curator of the exhibition, Lakshmi Nambiar tells us, “We wanted to provide a platform for these artists to showcase their work. We did not restrict them to any particular theme because we aimed to highlight diverse bodies of work, each based on the artists’ ideas. We observed their visions and are eager to show the public how these artists think and the inspirations behind their creations.” Lakshmi emphasises the educational aspect of the exhibition, noting that it is an attempt to enlighten art enthusiasts about the myriad art forms.

Arpan Sadhukhan, a Kolkata-based artist, will showcase his woodcut prints at the upcoming exhibition. This ‘relief technique’ involves carving designs into wooden blocks. Arpan’s work represents Gargantua, a fictional character known for his enormous appetite, originally from 16th-century French literature and famously illustrated by Honoré Daumier in 1831. Arpan explains, “I feel a deep urge to represent that gigantic greed in the context of the current time through my art.”

Having grown up in a middle-class family reliant on a grocery shop, Arpan has seen consumerism closely. “My discontent isn’t anti-consumerist or anti-capitalist; it seeks to expose how marketing and branding have invaded our lives,” he adds.

Pune-based artist Shilpa Bawane, who works across various mediums, will be presenting her latest installation. Her piece features a common household tap attached to a ladlelike spoon, with the tap opened. Shilpa explains, “It’s an expression of what loss could be or what absence could feel like. As a mother and family person, I often work in the kitchen. When cooking, we rely on water; we turn on the tap and expect a certain flow. Even though water has no shape, we are accustomed to its movements and patterns. When water is unavailable, although we can still imagine its flow, the absence is deeply felt.” She was inspired to attach the ladle after once using a shallow bowl to fill water in the kitchen and being fascinated by the water splash. With this artwork, Shilpa also questions, “Will there be a time when water will be so scarce that we have to measure it like milk and other essentials?”

Avijit Dutta, from Howrah, infuses his art with the struggles of his community. He depicts life in industrial areas, imbuing objects with metaphorical significance. His work delves into the region’s socio-cultural fabric through art. One painting showcases hands holding bricks, highlighting the connection between the labourers and the bricks they use to build establishments. Another depicts windows as prisons, reflecting complexities. Avijit’s art also explores labourers’ friendship, featuring faces covered in thonga (bags). “By hiding faces, I show the limited world they live in,” he says, highlighting their struggle for survival.

Free entry. May 25, 6 pm to 8.30 pm.

The exhibition will go on till July 31.

At Srishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills.

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