Ujjal Dey has brought his masterpieces to Emami Art in a solo exhibition titled, Dawn to Dusk: A Silent Symphony. Dey explores the mundanity of culinary spaces and matriarchal role dynamics amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The contemporary textile artist showcases common implements and culinary moulds as blocks to punctuate the conceptual framework. The exhibition will be on display from June 28^th to August 20^th At Gallery 2, Emami Art.

The exhibition explores the intricate intersections of matriarchal labour in the vernacular, quotidian culinary spaces, and artistic interventions. Dey’s approach to textile art is informed by extensive research on textile histories of India, a nuanced examination of pre-industrial age traditional dyes, socio-ecological considerations, and keen observations of everyday knowledge. 

“Dey’s textiles are closely bound to the soil materially and culturally. Deep regional connections give his work a culture-specificity,” says Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art. The exhibition will feature artworks, ranging from smaller textile panels to substantial hanging pieces which remind one of the hand-painted, printed and dyed calicoes, alongside referential mould-as-block swatches by the artist. Complementing the exhibit, a method film will also be displayed. The film, with re-interrogated audio, blurs the boundaries between Dey’s contemporary observations and childhood memories of mundane impressions.

His utilization of culinary tools – primarily wielded by women, as both symbolic motifs and technical mediums designate an intense vigour, while his expressionist approach to pigment extraction from the South-Asian bio-network adds an element of ecological consciousness to his practice. Through this distinctive outlook, Dey is set to uncover the silent symphony of ritualistic women-led presence in the confines of bustling Indian hyper-local kitchens, inviting viewers to savour the nuances of everyday life transformed into narrative textiles.

About Ujjal Dey

Ujjal Dey was born in 1992 in Ranchi, India. He is a contemporary textile artist pursuing a doctorate from Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. He has a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in textile and design from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, graduating in 2015 and 2017 respectively. His works have been displayed at various exhibitions in India (Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh) and internationally (London, Dusseldorf, Malaysia). He is the recipient of the Junior Fellowship (2018-2019) and the National Scholarship (2016) by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Ujjal Dey lives and works in Santiniketan, West Bengal.

Image Courtesy – Emami Art via YouTube

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