Social commentary and a therapeutic twist: Our 4 new artists of the week

Mohammad Naim: Social themes in minute detail

Tiny human figurines populate the intricately simple paintings of artist Mohammad Naim, often swarming the canvas just like ants and replicating something of the societal order of those tiny beings. Society and social mores find a voice indirectly or directly in these artworks, and they interestingly often come together in a pastiche of multiple frames, whether conjoined or separately aligned. Naim professes to capturing themes like religion and its impact, festivities, community habits and customs, and more. Take for instance the water colour on paper painting titled ‘Division’. It’s a unity in diversity motif that most Indians are aware of, showing four different places of worship being swarmed by believers, all connected to a central frame where the people gather together, irrespective of their beliefs, and seem to leave this realm in just the same manner. Another social theme is tackled in ‘Muft Paani’, also executed via watercolours on paper, where four tiles of paintings are precariously perched on each other, depicting an open tap gushing out not water but hundreds of tiny human figurines, as if going to waste much like the vital resource we all take for granted.

Nema Ram: Heartland inspiration cast in stone

There is a rustic elegance in the sculptures created by artist Nema Ram, who admits to seeing art in everything around him — whether natural or manmade. As a result, his subjects vary widely, seeking inspiration both entirely in nature as also in humankind’s cultural beauty that surrounds us, and often the two are delicately intertwined and cast in stone and wood. His black and white marble rendition titled ‘Jytotisar’, for instance, has sylvan beauty at its heart with stunning attention to detail, showing the giant aerial roots and trunk of a tree gently cradling a place of worship at its heart, with powerful branches swirling into a beautiful archway. The diversity in his style becomes evident via an exploration of another piece of his, titled ‘My Village Life 1’. Here, colourful stone, metal and wood are seen arranged into 7×7 or 49 tiny units, arranged neatly into a square; each is a separate miniature sculpture of its own that depicts one element of village life, ranging from a well pulley to a cooking implement, a farming tool, a kettle, a large pickle jar, a folk musical instrument, and a whole lot more.

Ashish Mohan: Art holds up a mirror to society

A reflection of the society around us, often with an underpinning of wry sarcasm, can be seen in the versatile artworks created by artist Ashish Mohan. He strongly believes that the job of an artist is to hold a mirror up to society for its cohesive evolution, and that the imagination has no bounds while depicting various relevant themes that can help culture progress into it next stage. He has a quirky instinct for depicting popular themes, such as in the set of sandstone sculptures titled ‘3 Ideats In Myself’, the artist has hewed a troika of dog-like forms in a series of poses — a commentary perhaps on the easy loyalty and faith displayed by these trusting animals, and the perceived consequences of that trait. Showing his flexibility as a creator of art, he has also painted the remarkable acrylic on canvas titled ‘Game of Conformation’ — partly abstract, wholly fascinating, this colourful canvas is divided into six contiguous frames that each show a discovery in the sky in a unique setting, with a bird-like form coming into being as humans below gaze upon it in varying circumstances and habitats.

Lama Tyagi: Art that tells stories can heal

As a certified art-based therapist, Lama Tyagi has seen the power of art when it comes to healing and transforming human trajectories. Whether it is his work done with children, youth collectives or at-risk kids, he believes that connecting via the stories that art tells can truly make a positive impact. This radiates not just outwards into the community, but also deep into artists themselves, bringing forth an inward light that balances and creates. Drawing in abstract, Tyagi frequently uses motifs from nature. This can be seen in ‘Seasons and I’, where the striking and earthy acrylics on canvas frame is divided into a trio, indicating perhaps three portions of the annual cycle. Soothing patterns and colour contrasts are imbued into each, with quirky, relatable elements emerging and telling a delightful story, such as a dog waltzing on a crescent moon, a red chilli pepper, and a tree with an dour bird perched right on top. In ‘Meeting I’, a bright, nearly neon blue background provides a great, glowing sort of foil to the thick black lines of varied forms and geometrical markings; one sees fantastical smoking fish in top hats, birds in suits, tiny dogs, a lion and an observant owl, both melding into the patterns and standing out, creating a fascinating narrative.