Exhibition explores intersections of matriarchal labour through various lenses

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) An ongoing solo exhibition, “Dawn to Dusk: A Silent Symphony” by artist Ujjal Dey, explores the intricate intersections of matriarchal labour in vernacular, quotidian culinary spaces, and artistic interventions.

The exhibition, being held at Emami Art in Kolkata, feature artworks, ranging from smaller textile panels to substantial hanging pieces, reminiscent of the hand-painted, printed and dyed calicoes, alongside referential mould-as-block swatches by the artist. “Dey’s textiles are closely bound to the soil materially and culturally. Deep regional connections give his work a culture-specificity… I believe that students, critics and art lovers will enjoy the shows, finding them to be three distinctive ways to confront some of the troubled truths of the contemporary world,” said Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art, in a statement.

Dey’s utilisation 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 aims 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.

Besides Dey’s, artworks of artists Bholanath Rudra and Ali Akbar PN are also being showcased in two other solo exhibitions at Emami Art.

While Rudra’s large-scale watercolours depict the moonlit landscapes where the hard truth is spoken in an eloquent language, evoking empathy; Ali Akbar’s critical works – paintings and videos – deal with the questions of migration and memory, seas and trade, and movement of cultural forms and motifs across time and places

The solo exhibitions will come to a close on August 20.