Latitude 28 presents a three-person exhibition of young contemporaries – Al-Qawi Nanavati, Dola Shikder, and Purvi Sharma – each of whom situates their practice within an experience of being vulnerable to life, Opening on 31st July 2024, and on View Till 18th August 2024. They belong to a group of new-age artists who are, first and foremost, responsible for building their own identities as individuals and then as creative practitioners. In their work and life views, one finds newfound vigour that is much needed to make sense of a world that seems increasingly fractious. This exhibition, therefore, is firmly rooted in the universality of human experiences of love, loss, and the mundanity of everyday life. It is a chance to look at one’s relationships with oneself, loved ones, and the larger world outside one’s realm of knowledge.
Situating work in printmaking, painting and drawing, Al-Qawi’s works in this exhibition are majorly influenced by her life experiences after the sudden loss of her mother. For her, making art after this huge loss has been akin to the experience of returning to nascence and starting from scratch on new forms of art-making. “I weave, crochet, embroider, paint, print, and process these items into paper to keep her alive”, she says of her experience of finding new ways to build memories in her mother’s absence. ‘Letters to my Mother‘, therefore, emerge as deeply personal works navigating and dissecting grief in a manner that allows for newfound wisdom. Al-Qawi, in putting out these works for the world, makes viewers privy to how loss has allowed her to have a new perspective of the world.
A young student at MSU Baroda, Dola has a strong sense of what she wants to convey through her art – the feminine experience of navigating the world and oneself. Having grown up in conservative Bangladesh, her personal experiences of femininity hold a prime place in thinking about the creative pursuit of art. ‘Myths of Belonging’ is her series of works that find inspiration in the many different experiences that have affected Dola’s sense of being. Topics of migration, the complex relationship of owning and inhabiting the physical body, and the portrayal of women in popular media find space in the multi-layered works she brings into being. Using textiles, acrylic paint, kantha embroidery, henna and synthetic hair, most of the works in this series have grown out of her collaboration with her mother, Kakoli Shikder. Dola’s powerful voice shines through her choices in bringing the canvas to life – one notices the transparency of the cotton blend with the rich hues of henna brown, the texture of the synthetic hair woven into the cloth, and the translucent lines depicting the body. Everything is a conscious choice in her commentary on the role of “playing woman”, as she titles one of her series of paintings.
Suppose definitive themes of loss and identity come across as essential contexts in getting to know Al-Qawi and Dola’s practices more closely. In that case, Purvi’s fascination with channelling uncertainty into a visual language should be kept in mind while making sense of her work. Having specialised in sculpture-making, Purvi’s background in the visual arts is supplemented by her willingness to translate the everydayness of life into tangible objects of art. She strives to find meaning in the mundane at a time when digital media and its implications on mental health can feel overwhelming. Each of her terracotta and stoneware sculptures displayed in this exhibition resonates with the intricacies of fragile innocence. Beyond the surface, there exists a certain dynamism, as she adds a sense of movement to the objects, even though they are still outward. There is also a meditative quality in the patterns and arrangements of Purvi’s sculptures, which she suggests are derived from her observations of formal layering on storefronts, woven textiles, buildings, flags and the vastness of the natural environment.
All three artists use multiple mediums and materials to open up their experiences of love, loss and life, having consciously moved against alienation or fear to give voice to their feelings in pursuing art. This exhibition, therefore, is an exercise in holding open one’s heart – not in a sappy, all-is-well sense or optimistic outlook on life. But a more ingrained approach to looking at the world differently, letting oneself be vulnerable to grief and change, and bringing acceptance about the self and others through this process. Moving beyond technicality, Al-Qawi, Dola, and Purvi share a worldview guided by the relationships and friendships central to their lives. The artistic language that emerges from this group showcase pays tribute to the range of human emotions one goes through while growing up and making sense of the world. Critics and thinkers have, for ages, theorised about the importance of turning inwards to oneself, being patient, and learning to accept the questions that come up as one navigates through life. These often seem outmoded in making sense of a world where chaos reigns supreme in real time. As young artists al-Qawi, Dola, and Purvi are conscious of their responsibility to be creative practitioners, they show that art at its core is about letting one’s guard down.
“Fragile’ is a profound exploration of vulnerability, identity, and resilience, beautifully articulated through the voices of three extraordinary young artists – Al-Qawi Nanavati, Dola Shikder, and Purvi Sharma. This show, which I discovered during a difficult time of grieving, resonates deeply with me as I navigate the loss of a loved one.
Al-Qawi’s poignant ‘Letters to My Mother’ navigates the grief of loss through a touching connection with her mother. Dola’s ‘Myths of Belonging,’ created in collaboration with her mother, Kakoli Shikder, offers a powerful commentary on femininity and cultural identity through delicately crafted Kantha works. Purvi’s sculptures, capturing the extraordinary in life’s fleeting yet mundane beauty, further enhance the depth of this exhibition.
‘Fragile’ is more than a display of art; it is a cathartic and personal invitation for viewers to deeply introspect and connect with their experiences of love, loss, and everyday life. It is a testament to LATITUDE 28’s commitment to fostering emerging artists and serves as a heartfelt ode to my mother, said Bhavna Kakar, Founder-Director of LATITUDE 28.
Feature Image: Flower 4 by Purvi Sharma, Terracotta
