Gallery Sumukha is showcasing a solo show of photographs titled ‘Remembered Abstraction’ by artist Ravikumar Kashi in collaboration with Art Intaglio, Mumbai. An artist working with different media such as photography, sculpture, painting and installation, the photographs, on display at the exhibition, have been shot during Kashi’s travels around the world. “Photography is an extension of my other work. I’ve been shooting with my analogue camera since 1999. And then I shifted to a digital camera by 2004, and since then there has been an exponential growth in the experiences I have captured,” says Kashi.
Showcasing just 20 photographs, they feature abstract forms, colours, lines and textures seen in everyday sights like a wall, a pavement, a door and even street-side graffiti. He finds art in mundane things and places, which one usually would not notice. His pictures do not aim to depict people, architecture or nature. They are like an abstract painting, with a strong sense of colour and composition. Each picture takes some reference or reminds the artist of one of his older paintings, thus bringing about the title ‘Remembered Abstraction’.
“I have been involved in this project since 2006. Initially, it started off as a lighthearted project. I just shot pictures of surfaces that interested me without being very clear about where it was heading. But as time passed, I could achieve some clarity and arrived at a frame that could tell a story. It was this frame which helped to unify diverse experiences, be them in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur or all across the world in cities like London, Brighton, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Shanghai and various cities of Mexico and Korea,” says Kashi.
Born in Bangalore in 1968, he graduated in painting from the city’s College of Fine Arts in 1988 and did a masters course in printmaking from the prestigious Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University, Baroda in 1990. He also learnt handmade papermaking from Glasgow School of Art, UK, and learnt Hanji, the traditional art of Korean papermaking, from Jang Ji Bang, Korea.
“I think the inspiration for my work depends on the kind of work I’m doing. Certain things, when you see it in a certain light, in a certain mod, can evoke a special meaning for you, and something exquisite is created in that moment. It’s a way of looking really, half my mind is always on the lookout for an image or a thought or an idea,” explains Kashi.
A preview of the show was held on December 4 at Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Bus Depot Road, Wilson Garden. The exhibition will continue till December 24. The gallery is open from 11am to 6 pm.