Minimalism with maximum impact seems to be the quintessential essence that sets Neha Puri Dhir apart from the rest. Finely stitched and dyed multiple times, Dhir's canvas is the humble fabric that makes the medium more eye-catching. Her ongoing exhibition titled SHUNYA at the Visual Arts Gallery at India Habitat Centre is inspired by the innumerable possibilities offered by geometry.
Dhir said that the exhibition was titled SHUNYA to imply "nullness". "I see fullness in nullness. I am also trying to break the myth of emptiness while depicting the philosophy through the symbolic circle," said Dhir.
For Dhir, geometry represents the bridge between art and mathematics. The language of dots and lines help her realise the complicated concepts in a simple yet magical way.
Speaking about her evolution as an artist in the medium, Dhir says that the moment of truth arrived when she visited the small village of Paithan in Maharashtra where she was exposed to Paithani sari weaving. "The intricacy and diligence of the weavers left a lasting impression on me and before the visit ended, I knew it was going to be textile design," said the artist.
Her exhibits represent a harmony of structure and fluidity and freedom and control. Dhir's second show after her first solo in 2014 generates both inspiration and awe. Using the painstakingly time consuming technique, Dhir uses mediums like silk and cotton to create designs that are stunning.
She uses resisting dyeing technique to create pieces like half moons, 77 circles, grids end up looking like abstract paintings. The NID alumna's tryst with resist dyeing started when she attended a two-week Shibori workshop by Yoshiko Wada and Jack Lenor Larson as a student.
The exhibition is on till October 10.
