Curated by Annapurna Garimella, the exhibition "Faith: Manu Parekh in Benaras 1980-2012" now on display at Art Alive Gallery signifies a journey from the exterior to the interior in the world of art.
"It is lively depiction of how modernism has allowed artists to show the magic of brushes on subjective and individual experiences for aesthetic thoughtfulness of others," Annapurna told PTI .
The show begins with Parekh's landscapes "Glimpses from a Boat," depicting the landscapes of Benaras which Parekh developed along his journey through the ghats of Ganga. His perspective of ghats while travelling on a boat and his thoughtful splash of colours have been put together in a splendid display.
The second section "Transformed Stone" is his take on the rituals and beliefs that add life to the non living things adding tones of sacredness to it.
"Repeating Forms," the third section incorporates the idea of repetition in order to arrive at the divine, much like the philosophy behind mantras. Here, Parekh has revisited the familiar visual places over an extended period of time, and through repetition, holds on to the possibility of creating something new.
"Flowers" is the final section in which Parekh's focus has shifted to the items that are inherent to the act of worship to explore the sexual, sacred, otherworldly forms that exist in the world. MORE