Title: Self-doubt
Medium: Fine-line drawing pens and pencil on T.K paper
Size: 50.3 x 19.9 cm
Rationale:
This artwork portrays doubts we may have about ourselves that keep getting in our way. I chose hair to highlight that these obstacles are our own creation. I incorporated Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous line art style to understand the appearance of hair strands when entangled, while also expressing confusion and chaos. The balance in the artwork is disturbed as the boxes are drawn with more concentrated lines by a pen, emphasising them deliberately, while the face, hand and comb are in pencil.
Title: The Clutter of the Mind
Medium: Acrylic paints on oil sheet, aluminium boxes.
Size: 53.5 x 28.6 cm
Rationale:
Through this artwork, I wanted to portray the omnipresent subconscious compartment of our brain wherein unwanted thoughts and memories still linger. I used a mysterious colour scheme with tonal shifts and added greens at the lower end to evoke disgust. I experimented with knives to give a texture to the background. Moreover, I explored different materials to make sure the boxes in the pile are not too heavy and made them out of aluminium foil by shaping and rubbing them to refine the edges.
Title: The Cries boxed within
Medium: M-seal, paper-mash and match-boxes sprayed with white acrylic spray and found
objects.
Size: 46(L) x 31(W) x 13(H) cm approximately
Rationale:
I read about people who have a ‘crab’s personality’ and I wanted to illustrate what humans would look like if they were a crab without the shell and claws protecting them. I created a composition of match-boxes and placed tiny found objects in them as symbols. The artwork is completely white except for the insides of the boxes, thus emphasising them. While the topmost boxes can be opened and closed by the viewer, the ones below are sealed as they represent a person’s deepest secrets.
Title: Dreamy Eyes
Medium: Acrylic paints and fine-line drawing pens on T.K paper.
Size: 40.2 x 28.6 cm
Rationale:
I based this piece on my interpretation of the song ‘Skyscraper’ by Demi Lovato. I have depicted a child in everyone’s heart who aspires for more but is trapped by expectations and norms. The vibrant colour scheme and the idea of portraying a child was inspired by the street artist, Seth Globepainter’s artworks. I have also created the composition through a perspective and kept the surrounding colours flat to lay more emphasis on the clouds and the box.
Title: The Selfie Box
Medium: Vector design, digital manipulation of acrylic painting using CorelDraw software.
Size: 37.7 x 14.8 cm
This artwork illustrates a possible world of illusions wherein our mobile phones control and confine our perceptions. While researching about China’s mobile phone exports, my attention shifted to the traditional brushstrokes used in Chinese lettering and the vertical writing format. Although I did not understand it, each word looked like a piece of art to me. At first, I painted random brushstrokes. Then, I arranged them based on my intentions and vectorized my painting on CorelDraw.
Title: Classes of Society
Medium: M-seal, wood-blocks, poster and acrylic paints.
Size: 22.8 (H) x 43.2 (L) x 10.2 (W) cm approximately
Rationale:
This artwork represents a divided but interdependent, thus connected society. The discrimination people face based on their class especially in India led me to make this piece. I have emphasised one side of the balance by the larger box and other by its raised position. I used a gear in the middle as a symbol and deliberately shaped the hand on the lower side muscular as it represents people perceived as the under-class, who are usually the labourers.
Title: A New Continental Drift
Medium: Found objects: Scrabble-game pieces on metal (cast iron) mesh.
Size: 63(H) x 41(L) x 15(W) cm approximately
Rationale:
Observing numerous cultural divisions, I remapped the world if it were to drift apart based on religions. I used the pieces from the game ‘Scrabble’ as they effectively represented compartments. To make a layout, I digitally colour-coded the religions and rearranged the world map, matching their colours, to form new shapes of the landmasses. I used spray paints to create the look of a parchment and placed the scrabble pieces on a metal mesh to indicate roots that still connect us.
Through this body of works, I aim to help the audience relate to and realise these illusory confinements that affect our perceptions. I believe, shedding light on these issues through art will lead to a more open-minded and less complicated society.
