Art Centrix Space Bridges ‘Intimate Distance’
Art Centrix Space has brought back ‘Intimate Distance,’ curated by Alnoor Mitha. The show displays the groundbreaking work of contemporary women artists, each at the forefront of artistic dialogues. It invites viewers to explore the intersection of personal narratives and societal issues through new and interdisciplinary practices that challenge conventional norms in contemporary art.
The show features artists such as Arpana Caur, Ayisha Abraham, Chetnaa, Jayasri Burman, Kanchan Chander, Manisha Parekh, Rekha Rodwittiya, Ruchika Wason Singh, Seema Kohli, Siri Devi Khandavilli, Shanthamani Muddaiah, and Vasudha Thozhur. Each artist offers a unique perspective shaped by their experiences, emotions, and memories, crafting narratives that resonate deeply. The exhibition at Bikaner House concluded on October 7th and will continue at Art Centrix Space started October 14, 2024. It will be on view till November 30th, 2024.
How do women artists in India respond to societal issues? How do they navigate the competitive world of art presentation? Intimate Distance brings artists from diverse cultural lineages, offering distinct perspectives and varied relationships. These experiences form the foundation of their artistic identity, from distant childhood memories to recent episodic moments.
The interpretation of these memories is inherently personal, allowing the artists to distil complex emotions and narratives into their visual language. Thus, art becomes a powerful tool for transformation, where intimate recollections are translated into tangible forms. As artists navigate the fluidity of time, they challenge the notion of distance—both temporal and emotional—by making memories palpable and accessible. Art becomes a vehicle for connection, inviting people to engage with their memories and experiences.
Arpana Caur continues this exploration of time through her obsession with ‘Day and Night’ bringing forth the power of the night, where the moon reigns oversleeping cities, reflecting her memories of a resilient single mother who built a Cultural Centre from the ground up. Jayasri Burman invokes the feminine power of nature, depicting figures that embody the nurturing qualities of the Earth with cycles of growth decay and resurgence, drawing from mythological narratives that reiterate our connection to the planet.
Kanchan Chander’s evocative depictions celebrate diverse emotional landscapes of femininity by delving into the female form’s ambiguous relationship with power, violence, and sensuality, while Seema Kohli imagines mythical worlds through an eco-feminist lens, exploring beauty and sensuality across civilisations. Her work celebrates the cosmic feminine and its ties to creation and destruction, using the concept of ‘The Golden Womb’, to reshape identities and foster dialogue between past and present.
Rekha Rodwittiya’s politically vigilant feminist practice presents the female figure in a non-voyeuristic manner. Deeply influenced by the stories of women overcoming patriarchal oppression, she embodies their legacies and integrates them into her artistic journey. Manisha Parekh masterfully explores abstraction through her use of ink, watercolour, and charcoal. Her works echo the ethereal abstractions of Gaitonde and the geometric craftsmanship of Nasreen Mohammedi, merging organic and geometric forms rooted in the craft traditions of her homeland.
Ayisha Abraham opens the conversation with her large-format lithographs, delving into fragments of a personal journey through assemblages of observed, found, collected, sketched, and painted images. Chetnaa introduces geometric precision, exploring the balance of positive and negative space through intricate techniques that evolve into three-dimensional works, inviting contemplation of the urban landscape. Ruchika Wason Singh investigates human habitation through oils, Chinese ink and Japanese sumi-e ink techniques, merging mark-making and urban complexity to create layered dialogues about materiality, desire, and the duality between consumption and minimalism.
Shanthamani Muddaiah engages with the fragility of existence through charcoal, a medium that symbolises life and its inevitable end. Her work reflects this transition, representing life as a living plant and its inevitable end as ash, embodying a profound journey of self-discovery. Siri Devi‘s work engages viewers with the interplay of perception and reality through reflective, Rorschach-like mirrors on lotus flower pedestals. This “mind mining” invites introspection, emphasising the transient nature of truth and the illusion of existence, encouraging viewers to construct their truths in fleeting moments of contemplation.
Vasudha Thozhur’s work embodies a shift in painting as a living language, embracing diverse expressions that emerge from the entanglement of thoughts and feelings. It seeks to reclaim lost dimensions of emotion amid the commodification and fragmentation of time. Together, these artists create a dynamic conversation that reveals the profound beauty in the intersections of personal and collective experiences. Their varied practices invite us to reflect on our connections to time, space, and identity, offering a space for introspection and resonance.
About Alnoor Mitha
Alnoor Mitha is a distinguished, award-winning international curator, artist and academic. He is a specialist in South Asian contemporary art with over 20 years of research, teaching and leadership experience. Mitha’s research intersects critical exchange between Manchester, Asia and its international global diaspora. His research on Asian Cultures is committed to inclusivity, promoting equality and celebrating diversity.
Through his existing research, he has curated various regional, national and international exhibitions, events, and conferences that have had a huge impact on the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, discovering new knowledge with a particular engagement for the wider communities.
About Monica Jain
Monica Jain, Curator-Founder-Director of Art Centrix Space, holds a BFA from the College of Art, New Delhi, and an MA in Art History from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi. Mentored by her uncle, Padamshri OP Jain, she learned art management and grew under his guidance. As an artist, she has trained under renowned sculptor KS Radhakrishnan. Her curatorial approach explores artistic questions and imaginations, believing that artists and their art are harbingers of change.
About Art Centrix Space
Established in 2012, Art Centrix Space is a visual testimony of imagination, imagery, and transformative visual experiences. Over the past decade, they have curated more than 30 exhibitions and participated in the India Art Fair from 2018 to 2024. They support and nurture young and mid-career artists and vernacular voices. They do so through exchanges, programs, and curatorial interventions aimed at increasing visibility, fostering broader associations, and expanding the territory of Indian contemporary art.
This year, Art Centrix Space introduced grants, including the inaugural Art Centrix Painting Grant 2024, celebrating diverse painting methodologies in Indian art.
Image Courtesy – Art Centrix Space
