Alok Johri’s Solo Exhibition Still Form

Threshold Art Gallery opens its door for Alok Johri’s solo exhibition, ‘Still Form’ from 11^th September to 9^th October 2024. The exhibition is divided into two: ‘Still Life,’ which features everyday objects, and ‘The Male Form,’ offering a more personal and spiritual reflection on the artist’s life. Curated by Chennai-based entrepreneur and renowned art collector Jaiveer Johal, the exhibition showcases Johri’s work with oil on various materials, including linen, paper, and canvas.

“In nearly two decades, I have worked in two distinct areas: ‘Still Life’ and ‘The Male Form.’ ‘Still Life’ because I am intrigued, fascinated and sometimes moved by the simplest of objects around me; they reveal so much about life. ‘The Male Form’ draws inspiration from the raw strength found in vulnerability. I do not question why; I simply jot down the idea or make an image of them. I live with this for some time and see if it leaves me or sticks around, when, without much thought, it transforms into a painting. While I’m working on a piece I do not think or worry about ‘what’s next…… Making art is the purest form of living for me”, concludes artist Alok Johri.

In the words of curator Jaiveer Johal, “There is a sense of dynamic stillness in these works: they depict everyday objects and people—mundane, and to the aesthete brought up on a steady dose of conceptual art, perhaps even pedestrian. On deeper reflection, this is far from the truth. There is a sense of intimacy in his still life that imbues the works with an energy that elevates them beyond mere objects. They are a window into a life lived, or a life wished to be lived. At the same time, the male forms, while dynamic and even kinetic, possess a delicate sense of intimate detachment that allows the viewer to step into a frozen moment in time.”

About Artist Alok Johri

Alok Johri (b. 1970, Kanpur) graduated with a BFA in Applied Arts from College of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow, specialising in graphics and photography. He has served as Creative Director at Ogilvy/JWT, as a Design Director and as a photojournalist. Alok lives in Goa with his cat Molly.

About Curator Jaiveer Johal

Jaiveer Johal has an MSc in Global Politics (2008) from the London School of Economics and holds an undergraduate degree in Economics with distinction from Loyola College, University of Madras. He has been a keen collector of modern and Contemporary Indian art, including textile art for the past decade and has a keen interest in decorative arts of South India and the Deccan in particular..

About Gallery Threshold

Gallery Threshold’s journey began in 1997 in Visakhapatnam. It moved to Delhi in 2003. Over the years, apart from regular exhibitions and fair participation, they have collaborated with other museums to curate exhibitions, published monographs, books and catalogues, held lectures and symposiums, and organized workshops and artist’s retreats.

Image – Man reading by the window, Oil on paper, 10 x 10 in Courtesy – Threshold Art Gallery

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