Can we hold grief and anger in art without leaving viewers burdened by those emotions? For art curator Leya Moonsong, Duality began with that question. Her answer arrives in the form of six artists whose paintings and photographs invite visitors to linger with contradiction, while searching for balance within it.
Opening at Medai from July 24 to 26, Duality brings together paintings and photographic art by artists from Chennai and Bengaluru. The exhibition explores ideas of harmony, interconnectedness, and complementary opposites through around 12 to 16 works.
Leya says, “My original intention was to bring certain artworks which are not created only from the place of pain, but also from the place of transmuting that pain. Art is generated from a lot of emotions, and a lot of darker emotions, rage, anger, sadness. It also contains happiness, joy and love. But a lot of times, those darker emotions don’t seem balanced in the art. I wanted to bring out art that still holds these emotions, but brings harmony and duality with a feeling of love.”
The exhibition combines two artistic mediums that, according to Leya, speak to one another. While some artists work with acrylics, another combines pastels and watercolours. Photography forms the other half of the exhibition, including Bengaluru artist Divya B, whose work begins with botanical art before being photographed. The original botanical arrangement is ephemeral, leaving the photograph as its lasting form.
The participating artists — Anushka Sachdev, Divya B, Niveditha Venkataramanan, K Narasimhan, SindhuRani and Vighneshwari S — were selected through an open call on social media. Among the recurring themes in the exhibition are resilience, chaos, nature, and introspection. Even when the subject is emotionally heavy, Leya believes the works offer an emotional experience. She says, “Even though they have depicted concepts like chaos and resilience, the way that has been expressed through the art brings a lot of peace.”
Leya, who works across sound, colour, handcrafted jewellery, home décor and nature-inspired creations, calls this exhibition an extension of her own practice. Although this is her first curatorial project, she says she followed her intuition while bringing together artists whose work rarely reaches a wider audience. She also chose Medai deliberately because it is a venue better known for performing arts.
Duality will be on view at Medai (Small Studio, Punch), from July 24 to 26. Tickets on BookMyShow. Three day passes can be claimed anytime and any number of times.