Psalms of an Invisible River SUJITH SN
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Vadehra Art Gallery in collaboration with Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art presents
Psalms of an Invisible River SUJITH SN A solo exhibition by the recipient of the FICA Emerging Artist Award 2011
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Psalms of an invisible river or presence of an absence of a river
Psalms of an invisible river is a series of 13 watercolour visual narratives of peoples’ lives and their struggles to make everyday life liveable in an Indian city. Moving from my earlier attempts to tell the history of contemporary Indian urban landscapes and its sociopolitical and cultural imaginations, my attempt in this series is to try and understand the historical evolution of these imaginations and their impact on daily life. Thus, I move from the question of what constitutes a city to a more historically constructed enquiry of asking how a city is being constituted, constructed and consumed across time and space. The questions I am specifically concerned with are the following - what are the historical conditions that make a space urban in a particular historical situation, how these historical conditions change, and what affect its aftermath leaves in people’s psyche. Each and every person has his or her own way of owning a city. The city also has its own ways of making its space available to people. So citymaking is always a two way process; city makes its people as much as people make their cities. Being a historical journey, this series looks into the trajectory of the relationship and contradictions between an(y) urban space and its inhabitants in the course of everyday life. Thus, these works are not only visualising many of the untold stories of city making, but also adds a visual turn to India’s urban historiography.
As it’s visible from the works presented in this series, the image of a river is a central metaphor in most of these narratives. Rivers have always been central to the formation of any civilisation. Even most Indian cities of today are built on the banks of rivers. So I thought it would be an interesting attempt to tell the history of a society, the various turns and returns it took on its journey to today by addressing the everyday histories of its rivers. The meaning of a river in the city changes as the meaning of city changes itself. Cities constantly transform themselves, their structures and purpose. Tracing these changes will help us to explore the inner dynamics of city making. The irony here is the fact the river we are talking of is almost invisible in today’s city. It’s the presence of the absence of the river that compels me to recall its historical journey. Sujith SN
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Untitled Watercolour on paper 41.5” x 79.25”
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Detail from Untitled
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Dialogues Watercolour on paper 68” x 44.5” 2013
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Details from Dialogues
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Testimony Watercolour on paper 41.75� x 65.5� 2012
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Details from Testimony
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Untitled Watercolour on paper 42.25” x 56” 2012
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Details from Untitled
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Untitled Watercolour on paper 32” x 59” 2012
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Details from Untitled
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Psalms of an (In)visible River Watercolour on paper 53” x 86.5” 2013
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Details from Psalms of an (In)visible River
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Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom Watercolour on paper 41.25” x 87”
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Details from Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom
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Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom Watercolour on paper 9.75” x 12.75” (each) 2013
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom Watercolour on paper 9.75” x 12.75” (each) 2013
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SUJITH SN 2007 2005
EDUCATIONAL PROFILE MFA from Sarojini Naidu School of Fine Arts, Performing Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad BFA from College of Fine Arts, Trichir, University of Calicut, Diploma in Civil Draughtsmanship
2011 2010 2008 2007 2006 2004-05
EXHIBITIONS Indian Art Summit, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai The Map is not the Territory, Latitude 28, Delhi | Solo show The Indian Subway, curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, Vadhera Grosvner, London The Earth, Gallery OED, Kochi Relative Visa, curated by Bose Krishnamachari, Bodhi Art Gallery, Mumbai The City and The Tower, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai | Solo show The Double, Gallery OED, Kochi Open-eyed Dreams, Durbar Hall, Kochi Group show at Tangerine Art Space, Bangalore Auto Hanger - a group show, Mumbai Kerala Lalith Kala Academy annual show
2012 2007 2006 2005 2004
RESIDENCIES AND CAMPS FICA Emerging Artist Award residency at Hochschule Luzern - Design and Kunst, Switzerland MUWC India-Sakshi Camp, Pune Gallery OED National Art Meet, Kochi ACK Raja State Camp Lalith Kala Academy District Camp
2011 2005 2004
AWARDS FICA Emerging Artist Award Merit Scholarship, University of Hyderabad ACK Raja award Kerala Lalith Kala Academy State Award Kerala Lalith Kala Academy Special Mention Award
Sujith lives and works in Mumbai 24
Š VADEHRA ART GALLERY D-53 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024 Monday to Saturday | 11am - 7pm T +91 11 46103550/46103551 | E art@vadehraart.com | W www.vadehraart.com Text: Sujith SN Design: Suhani Arora Sen Photographs of Installations: Babu Eshwar Prasad
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