Through refreshing strokes on canvas to heavy wood work and more, filmmaker and artiste Muzaffar Ali brought his decades of experiences (and muse) under one roof with his exhibition Mystic Journeys in Art. Curated by art critic Uma Nair over a period of one year, this exhibit is currently on display at the Bikaner House. Ali’s paintings have been divided into 11 sections and placed in different rooms that he calls Maqaam. As his paintings vary from different earthy tones with splotches of brighter hues, one realises Ali’s inconceivable love for life, the Universe, and everything in between.
With a collection of art work including sketches, paintings, portraits of actors including Smita Patil and Rekha who have featured in his films, collages inspired by the Sufi mystic Rumi, and furniture, the Umrao Jaan-maker showcases his dynamic range as a true artist. A motif that is recurrent and catches the eye is the display of the leaf—the dull yellow leaves embrace every painting in this series titled Earth to Eternity, as if a symbolic reminder of the cycle of time, seasons, and beauty. Ali describes it as the ‘state of becoming one with the origin, a part of the earth’. “These leaves are important to me. We have worked on them through the years; they have grown in front of us. Every season that they shed leaves; I keep collecting them. For me, it is a very interesting cycle that I am glad I’m a part of,” he shares.
Unification of the arts
Ali describes his choice of art as something that gives him freedom and comfort. His dynamic abilities let him exist as both a filmmaker and painter. “My sense of freedom is my sense of values and human emancipation. I will go towards tools, if I get more freedom in painting,” he says. However, the artist interconnects them both. “All my life, my paintings have been my means to an end. As far as my films are concerned, I sketch for each of my film prep. So, I keep busy. I have been busy making films using my paintings. Therefore, now I find the latter can be a more interesting, powerful medium of expressing oneself,” he adds.
An artistic dialogue
When asked about how he would like the viewer to perceive his exhibition, Ali shares that he wishes they walk out of the gallery with subliminal calm and a sense of trance. “I think they should go with the idea of picking out details that prick at their imagination. Through the exhibition, I get a good sense of dialogue, conversation about their understanding of art. I am glad people are appreciating it.”
Giving insight into how the younger generation has picked up on their idea of art, Nair shares, “Over the last year, I have carefully picked out each painting from a pool of choices. Every piece was placed after careful deliberations and compartmentalised under different themes. Ali designed and painted a beautiful screen that I placed at the end of the hall. Who would have thought it would become a hotspot for Instagram pictures? (laughs).”
The screen Uma mentions—which Ali calls Milestone—is an installation within the collage series, with each separator divided into four oval compartments and housing dry twigs set as a tinge of yellow provides the backdrop. This work is placed at the end of the hallway, almost as if it beckons the viewer to enter the vivid kaleidoscope of a world that Ali has created over the years.
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: Mystic Journeys in Art-Muzaffar Ali
WHEN: Till Today; 11:00am to 7:00pm
WHERE: Bikaner House