Looking at life & beyond

Immortality has often been explored as a concept in the field of art. But renowned artist Anju Dodiya’s soon to be displayed works titled Imagined Immortals portray the concept in a different light focussing on the imperceptible knots that tie the living and the dead. The artist, whose last solo exhibition in the capital was back in 2010 brings back to the city a collection of works in mixed media on printed paper.

For the canvas, the artist has chosen printed pages of the reproduction of old medical illustrations which capture the tone of the theme, given the way they represent man’s curiosity with the human body and its portrayal as a fragile and fleeting instrument of life. In her own words, the artist describes immortality, the underlying theme of the collection as the connection between the extraordinary desires and aspirations paired against the fragile nature of the human body.

She says, “We grant immortality to the beings we choose to remember – our mothers, our daughters, heroines, goddesses, artists and our lovers. We forget our own mortal nature in the mundane cycles of giving and taking. Death is always a surprise, and a lie.”Painted over the course of last year, the artworks depict the irreversible forward motion of life coupled with the immense human desire to defeat death. The works are captured in a simple form and depict the interpretations of the dialogue between the artist and her self.

Anju renders the concept of pain and how it reverberates through the human body. It’s fragility and its structuring are visible in her works.The figuration of the artworks, says Dodiya, “mimics that of medieval European illustrations and the narrative is formed by abstract symbols of immortality like the therapeutic creepers, honeycombs, peach blossoms and for the artist - her studio paraphernalia, her brush.”

One of the well-known names in the country’s contemporary art circles, the artist herself brands her form of practice as a ‘fictional self-portrait.’ Having exhibited in various parts  of the world, the artist was also part of the selected few who showcased their works at the Venice Art Biennial.The collection will be displayed at Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi from January 18 to February 14, 2015.