Gallery Threshold’s Newest Group Exhibition
Gallery Threshold is all set to present ‘Trans-formative Vision’, a group exhibition exploring the timeless tradition of figurative art, reimagined by contemporary artists to express both external realities and their inner worlds. Curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, this expansive exhibition features works by Anindita Bhattacharya, Benitha Perciyal, Jogen Chowdhury, Manjunath Kamath, Mithu Sen, Rameshwar Broota, Shanthi Swaroopini, Sudhir Patwardhan, T. Vaikuntam, and V. Ramesh. The exhibition runs from November 6 to December 14, 2024.
12 x 13.5 x 5 in. (2024)
Courtesy – Manjunath Kamath
This exhibition invites viewers to experience the rich diversity of contemporary figurative art, where each artist transforms tradition into a unique exploration of form, identity, and reality.
Yashodhara Dalmia on ‘Trans-formative Vision’
Curator Ms Yashodhara Dalmia says, “The strong figurative tradition which has empowered the form for centuries in India is transformed by artists in the present to express contemporary reality as well as their inner landscape. The twists and turns of the body, articulated in earlier times by the tribhanga posture with its axial bends, are now used as a sensor to navigate their exploding internal and surrounding realities. The figure’s subtle manifestations and vivid countenance also retain the possibility of change and growth. The body’s aura alters the space around it and transforms the prevailing situation.”
16 x 12 in. (2016)
Courtesy – Sudhir Patwardhan
Artists and Their Practices at the Exhibition
Delhi-based artist Anindita Bhattacharya, currently in residence at the Ashmolean Museum (UK), is known for her works on environmental and animal themes. In this exhibition, her illuminated light box presents a fusion of dismembered human and animal parts, strung together in a turbulent garland that highlights the devastation of the body. Chennai-based sculptor Benitha Perciyal presents a woman’s head that evokes an iconic presence, creating a powerful aura. Her sculpted lions, anthropomorphic in their portrayal, symbolize inner strength with their commanding presence.
Mixed media and watercolour on acid-free handmade paper
30 x 22 in
Courtesy – Mithu Sen
Artist Jogen Chowdhury’s sinuous lines create men and women in languorous, dreamlike forms that nevertheless convey a core of determination. His work invites the viewer into the reverie of feminine figures, whose indolent yet agile forms narrate a story of inner strength. Manjunath Kamath’s works merge disparate images, where the rupturing and re-formation of the body evoke multiple meanings. His towering terracotta sculpture hints at an interconnectedness of cultures and religions, resonating deeply with the present moment.
The veined and fluid body presented by the artist Mithu Sen are often remnants of violated beings in the abyss of darkness. The enhanced self where the whole consists of the figure with its inextricable dark shadow resounds with a sensuous belief in pluralities of identities. Sudhir Patwardhan’s drawings, depicting life on the streets of Mumbai, are rendered with forthright and confident strokes, drawing attention to the resilience of the human spirit amidst fragility.
19 x 11 x 10 in. (2024)
Courtesy – Shanthi Swaroopini
Rameshwar Broota’s Bare Shadows portrays elongated, emaciated silhouettes, their gaunt forms amplifying their desolate state. These figures, defined by their stark linearity, emphasize the impoverished conditions of their existence. T. Vaikuntam’s voluptuous figures assert individuality and defy male dominance, as seen in their exaggerated forms. Inspired by the men and women of Telangana, his figures transform everyday life into theatrical, mosaic-like memories.
Hyderabad-based artist Shanthi Swaroopini presents sculptures that embody the feminine vision. Her figures, rendered in both bronze and paper pulp, balance solidity with fragility, creating ambiguous definitions of selfhood and identity. V. Ramesh reinterprets Bhakti poetry, exploring the intense devotion between lovers as a form of divine worship. In works like Karikal Amma, he captures the dual nature of a woman, who inhabits both the spiritual and earthly realms.
96 x 66 in. (2012)
Courtesy – V. Ramesh
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 Courtesy – Anindita Bhattacharya
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