‘Of Worlds Within Worlds’: Gulammohammed Sheikh’s retrospective chronicles society and its upheavals

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) A meditative Kabir with eyes half closed or an almost translucent Mahatma Gandhi walk into Gulammohammed Sheikh’s paintings as if they are part of the painter’s world overrun by wars, riots, poverty and the many humanitarian crises.

The ruminations of Sheikh, 88, drawn through his gouaches, oil paintings, pen and ink drawings, graphic prints and digital collages are presented at a landmark retrospective by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) here, celebrating the life and works of the artist, poet and pedagogue.

“Of Worlds Within Worlds” is touted to be one of the most extensive exhibitions showcasing Sheikh’s creative oeuvre of over six decades through a display of more than 190 artworks.

Starting with his early works, which reflect memories of growing up in Surendranagar in Gujarat, and his exploration of bold impasto techniques, the exhibition traces his thematic evolution from local imagery of horses and tongas in Baroda to expansive landscapes and urban cityscapes.

Sheikh’s “Returning Home After a Long Absence” (1969-73) was perhaps the first time he started thinking of paintings having the quality of a collage, where images “referenced from disparate sources and cultures could meet on a single ground and come together to construct a pictorial narrative”.

Sheikh’s work often explores the dynamic and complex relationship between memory, identity, and urban life, particularly in the context of social and political upheavals.

In “Speechless City” (1975), Sheikh paints his response to the Emergency and the suppression of democratic rights.

The painting features a desolate city abandoned by people and overrun by howling black dogs and screeching crows.

His painting “The Speaking Street” (1981) stands as an exploration of the animated, chaotic nature of an Indian street, drawing on his memories of Baroda.

Another reflection on urban life and its discontent, painted during a time of communal violence in Baroda, comes out through “City for Sale” (1981-84).

Through vivid, often cryptic imagery, Sheikh narrates the stories of people caught in the crossfire of political and social unrest.

“I responded to what was going around, I didn’t paint everything. There are certain things which could be painted and there are certain things you can’t paint, so one does that at whatever period of time that demands some kind of a way of response, so you respond to it in that way,” Sheikh told PTI.

He added that every event can’t be painted.

“There are two things, one is the event and the other is art. But both of them have to come together. There are some events for which you find visual expression, for others you don’t,” he said.

Sheikh’s oeuvre is dotted with a number of series on themes such as trees, cityscapes, or mystic poet Kabir.

Drawn to Kabir’s poetry and philosophy, Sheikh began incorporating the mystic’s teachings into his art, particularly as the artist sought a symbol of non-violence during periods of communal unrest.

Sheikh’s “Kahat Kabir” series, which began in 1996, features fifteen gouaches, two oil paintings, and three etchings, with the image recurring in both digital and painted works until 2010.

Through these rich, multi-layered images, Sheikh “challenges institutionalised religious narratives, offering a more humanistic interpretation of Kabir’s message of unity and peace”.

Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi has appeared and reappeared in Sheikh’s works across mediums over the years.

Pained by the events of the 2002 Gujarat riots, Sheikh painted “Ahmedabad – The City Gandhi Left Behind” (2015-16).

The painting in different tints of grey is highlighted by the image of a burning autorickshaw at its centre. A closer look reveals the many lives in the many houses of the city that is Ahmedabad brought to the canvas with the help of Google Maps.

The painting is marked by four items that belonged to Gandhi, including his glasses, his watch, his slippers, and a set of a plate and bowl.

The two icons of peace also appear in some of his latest works, at times together, including in “Kaarawaan” (2019-2023) and “Dus Darwaze” (2019-2014), along with other luminaries throughout history such as Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rabindranath Tagore, M F Husain and Vincent Van Gogh.

Sheikh’s large body of work reflects a life explored, as the painter brings to fore his thoughts, dreams and sometimes truths of the world around him.

“Life is a struggle, art is also kind of a struggle, you keep on struggling to put into paint something which you experience.

“In life it is just a blank truth, art is not like that, it gives you multiple views of the same situation and if you look at it again and again you see different meanings emerging and I am interested in that,” he said.

The extensive show featuring Sheikh’s works will come to an end on June 30.