HYDERABAD: A look at the works of artist Koeli Mukherjee Ghose that are on display at Ailamma Art Gallery make you feel as if they were once floating in water. And this perception is not wrong as the artist has used a special technique. We are talking about the art of Suminagashi, which means floating ink in Japanese, is not easy. It requires a certain level of dexterity to practise it let alone master. And to retain the marbling surface in a piece of art is even tougher. There are 40 paintings by Koeli that have a subtle resemblance to one another as they all are kissed by water.
Titled ‘Open Studio’, the exhibition has her artworks that have faint streaks of pink and peach with strokes of charcoal. But how does she do it? Koeli explains, “I take a tub of water, drop the colour and then dip the paper, which is usually handmade archival one. After that I take an imprint and try to look for clues on the surface. What follows later is the use of my bamboo quill which I dip in ink and start painting my canvas.” She adds that this technique is a kind of meditation and has a certain way of philosophizing life itself. That’s why the strokes look feather-smooth as if resting on the river-bed from an ancient time. The surface of the works look serene much like the philosophy they contain while at the same time they are figments of life experiences. The artist adds, “These artworks are actually different moments that I have lived which also have shaped my thought process. I work with the element of water as my companion. As the time has progressed my temperament with the strokes also has changed.” And the fluidity on her canvases just confirm it.
The exhibition is on till August 30