The world that was once dominated by nature, now stands in competition with rigorously growing urbanisation. It’s this very dialogue between settling and unsettling conditions between the two that drove artist Sitaram Swain to work on his series of art work Grey Areas. “My artworks are influenced by the various state of existence. They represent the changing landscape and the ongoing process of construction and reconstruction,” shares Swain.
The multi-disciplinary artist, works with a range of materials in his paintings and installations. However, what has predominately used throughout the series is cement. “Rice grains, bricks, digital print media and clay pots are some of the interesting materials that I have so far. However, for Grey Areas I have showcased my artworks through cement.
It is an industrial material that carries the whole narrative of the concrete forest of urban human civilisation. It helps emphasise on the growing usage of concrete, spreading and blocking our views in personal and societal conditions,” shares the young artist, who initially found working with cement challenging but that didn’t stop him from experimenting with it.
Swain won the Glenfiddich Emerging Artist of the Year in 2017 and was the beneficiary of the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Programme. Talking about his perspective on the three-month residency, Swain shares, “The time I spent at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland gave me complete freedom to develop my project. My residency there inspired by the Scottish weather, beauty, nature and whisky making crafts held an important role in moulding the artworks from my current work.”