Etched in desi sculpt soul

“You must forget all your theories, all your ideas before the subject. What part of these is really your own will be expressed in your expression of the emotion awakened in you by the subject.” — Henri Matisse

Ravinder Reddy’s solo show, the first of its kind in India in a decade, is enough to make heads turn. It marks a fantastic week for Bengaluru which gets to witness the works of phenomenal magnitude by the artist. The city gets to witness sculptures which are captivating and thrilling to watch. Reddy’s works have constantly been featuring in several important exhibitions and auctions worldwide. The art show in the city traces the stellar journey of the artist right from the early 80’s to the present day. Infact, he was recently on the cover page of a renowned art auctioneer’s catalogue. A feat accomplished by no other Indian artist.

Ravinder Reddy is an alumini of the prestigious Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda. As a student, he would often question the conventional method of learning sculpture which was more inclined towards the old masters. The later period saw body and clothe impressions influenced by pop art and simplified, smoothly bulging shapes of a fluid vegetal, animal and human character playfully surging a surge of life forces.  Ravinder Reddy’s sculptures often consist of the female form, which throughout his life, he has experienced and encountered.

Often in his sculptures, he portrays women with a larger than life persona, bulging lips, big cheeks and voluptuous figures all boiling down to a unique, quirky and contemporary form. Despite keeping the traditional Indian touch, woman, culture and couture in mind, his sculptures have a sense of liveliness. The round and dark eyes, gaze at you directly as if to ask questions or maybe in sheer surprise. Besides the fusion of contemporary pop art and Hindu sculptural tradition, Reddy provides a perfect union of the archetype and the individual. His works have a folk edge, and probably that’s where his popularity as a sculptor stems from. Going against the general principle of portraying anatomically correct figures, Reddy questions the conventional outlook hence breaking away from the conventional and creating the magnificent.

He has often quoted and said “For me, I don’t feel we need to be judgmental about a woman’s figure. It is after all hers and how she carries it.” His sculptures have a sense of Indianness and tradition etched in every inch and probably that’s what makes his art fashionable and contemporary. The RMZ Foundation and Premila Baid have cureated this with a concerted look at celebrating Indian art.