Vida Heydari Contemporary (VHC) is pleased to announce its participation at the Mumbai’s most celebrated Festival of Architecture and Interior Design (FOAID). Prominent contemporary artists, M. Pravat, Vaishali Oak and Vivek Vilasini will be representing VHC and will showcase their exceptional art for two days 7 October – 8 October 2022, from 10 AM – 6 PM at MMRDA Grounds, Mumbai.
M. Pravat – Inverted Geometries (1-9)
The art exhibition will feature varied artworks including sculptures, fabric assemblage, photographic works and more. The participating artists from VHC will showcase their artwork from, “Concrete Dusk”, “Chromatic Musings” and “Between One Shore and Several Others”. The exhibition will be articulated in varied media and will extend the experience of the exhibition from inside and outside the gallery.
About the Artists:
M. Pravat
M. Pravat was born in 1972 in Kolkata, India. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in painting in 2002 and his Master’s in 2004, both granted by the Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University, Baroda. His art practice examines architectural forms and materials through a fractured lens. Over the years, his works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions, biennales and art fairs in Colombo, Delhi, Dubai, Mumbai, New York, Seoul and Zurich. His recent solo-exhibitions include ‘Fugitive Dust’ at VHC, Vida Heydari Contemporary, Pune (2021); ‘Liquid States’ at 1×1 Gallery, Dubai (2017); ‘From Today, I Have No Future’ at Aicon Gallery, New York (2017); and ‘Blue Print’ at Nature Morte, Delhi (2011). He is a member of the Layout collective along with artists Navid Tschopp, Susanta Mondal, and architect S. Boka. Their projects have been exhibited in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, 2012, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, 2013, INSERT, 2014, the Colombo Biennale, 2014, and in non-institutional sites in Delhi and Zurich. He was a recipient of the Pro Helvetia artist residency in Switzerland.
M. Pravat lives and works in New Delhi, India. He will also be present in person at the event.
From the Artist (excerpt)
‘‘Concrete Dusk’ brings together my most recent body of works building upon themes I have been exploring for over ten years, namely the different expressions of a city under construction. My interest in this subject comes from the lived experience of a city that is in a constant state of flux, both tangible and intangible, negotiating between its masterplan, its popular aspirations and the everyday experiences of it. One is in the middle of these transformations, be it from the intimacy of one’s home or on larger scales of urban development projects. In the past, I tried to capture these changing forms through under-construction sites arrested in time. In recent years, my practice has turned to exploring processes of deconstruction, not only of the urban environment but of habitats, materials and images.
Concrete Dusk invokes the built environment in twilight. Instead of focusing on the constructive and destructive forces at work, how can we imagine a twilight urbanism where changes in urban surroundings are seen as a waxing and waning of scales, tonalities, textures and shadows? The red bricks for me are reminiscent of past civilisations as much as the subsequent building of empires in red sand-stone and modern urbanscapes in brick and mortar. This show is an attempt to bring these long timelines into conversation with one another
Vaishali Oak
Vaishali Oak is a fibre artist from Pune whose work draws inspiration from traditional sewing practices by exploring the relationship between fabric, nature and craft. Over the past three decades, she has developed a unique style that draws from the local quilting practice called ‘Godhadi’. These fabric assemblages evolved from early memories of sewing with the women in her family as a way of preserving and extending the life of the cloth. Her layered approach allows her to play with form and colour, rending the upper layers to reveal and texturise different surfaces. She also creates patterns that mimic the natural degradation of fabric over long use.
Oak has shown her work in exhibitions in India and abroad, most recently as part of the World Textile Art exhibition in Madrid, Spain (2019), at World Art Dubai (2019), ‘Colours of Life’ at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai (2018), ‘Fact & Fiction’ at SW1 Art Gallery, London (2007), ‘Art India’ at the National Art Gallery, Colombo, Srilanka (2006), among others. Her works are in corporate and private collections in India and abroad.
From the Artist (excerpt)
“Chromatic Musings features a selection of my recent works, whereby stitching, shaping and breaking fabric assume a bigger, bolder schema. Inspired by nature’s abundance, I embark upon a journey of introspection, evolution and self-actualisation. These works act as a meditative tool, delving deeper both literally and figuratively to uncover latent designs and thoughts…
Each panel is filled with unbridled joy, a celebration of the metamorphosis I see in nature, and an evolution in my practice. I offer new courage in the form of bold strokes and a spirited approach to the hues that bring the works to life.”
Vivek Vilasini
Vivek Vilasini is a multimedia artist from Kerala, who has studied art practices and sculpture from traditional Indian craftspeople. Before turning to art, he trained as a Marine Radio Officer and pursued a degree from Kerala University.
Vilasini’s paintings, sculptures, photographs and mixed media works explore how ideas influence identities in contemporary society. His works manifest the continuous connection and negotiation between these ideas and identities. He highlights the appropriation and juxtaposition of forms and meanings in different settings.
He has been a part of numerous international solo and group exhibitions, including in his repertoire, prestigious international art festivals such as Art Basel Hong Kong, NGMA Mumbai, New York University Museum, Dubai Art Fair, etc. His works are in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum; Kadist Collection, Arco Foundation, Hermes Collection and other notable collectives.
From the Artist (excerpt)
“Between One Shore and several Others” is an enquiry into the evolution of identities through the transmigrations of concepts, their assimilations and internalisations.
Central to self-expression are the investigations of human interconnectedness. Kochi, my hometown – itself has been the receptacle of social and cultural ideas from diverse countries and ethnicities over the centuries. I acknowledge socially, culturally, metaphorically and quite literally, that I am standing – between one shore and several others…
…I do not protest or criticise the cultural metamorphoses, as I do not wish for the revival of the old world. Rather through sharp but caring observations of significant, but often-overlooked details, I point to a reality that is churning with warm amusement.”
About Vida Heydari Contemporary Art Gallery
Established in 2020, VHC is a Pune-based contemporary art gallery. VHC partners with artists to encourage and celebrate them, promote their work and connect them to art lovers. The gallery showcases works by local and international artists. It conducts collateral programs to contribute to the cultural fabric of Pune city.
Founded by Vida Heydari, a curator and gallerist with over 14 years of diverse experience in the global art world, VHC aims at building an accessible platform to engage with relevant contemporary art practices from around the world.
VHC | Vida Heydari Contemporary | Marvel Alaine, Lane 8, Koregaon Park, Pune, India.
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