From root grows life, an intricate maze of mysteries experienced through phases of natural change.
Our existence, over generations, has been a continuous effort to understand the vastness of the
cosmos, the depths of its abstractness and to become our complete self in it. `The exhibition Verukal
(the roots) explores the foundational aspects of one’s existence and extends to symbolise the
vocation an individual is destined for. The journey of life is grounded in the soil of birth and
unfurls in the spaces of the world & corners of the mind. An incident, a displacement, a loss, a
conflict, an opportunity can become a point of change and reflection for an individual. At this moment,
a return to the roots is suggested as a means of understanding and connecting with oneself devoid of
any inhibitions. Fostered through the realms of transitions, awareness, and re-discovery, the
exhibition invites the spectators to follow the connecting thread from our present to the roots.
From the genesis, the transition from a “noble savage” to the present state is a development result
of human consciousness through different stages of life, at an individual and collective level.
As Hegel states, the evolution of the human consciousness is developed by the dialectical process
where contradictions and conflicts lead to a higher form of understanding. Thus when a human is
subjected to continuous evolution, the changes that occur in one’s life become inseparable from the
surrounding nature.
How do we become acquainted with our transitions in life? A question that leads us to a moment of
total awareness and a limitless space for re-discovery.
In silence we create, in stillness we evolve. In a state of peace, subconscious leads to awareness
and epiphanies. In such a state, when cognition is strongly connected to your subconscious, the
precision of the information received becomes crucial for generating responses which can be catalysts
in the journey of rediscovery. Surrounded by forces of nature and access to the subconscious mind, the
transitions of life can be acknowledged, thereby reinforcing and redirecting our journey towards the
roots.
Viktor E.Frankl
As conformism and totalitarianism have conditionally ruled over one’s choices in life, somewhere the human’s ability to navigate life to search for its meaning has been ignored. Whereas, the quest of purpose can be a foundational belief system to surpass the hardest conditions of life. The driving force for re-discovery can be triggered by grief, separation, truth, beauty or love; and the concept of “existential vacuum” remains a core reason in setting an offset to this journey. When re-discovery is identified as the search for meaning of life, one is called to acknowledge the vocation or the mission by learning ways to live around the unavoidable suffering where ironically the search for meaning can never be “homeostasis.”
Everything that is, is of everything else that is. Nothing is of itself alone. All created things are united. The oneness of the universe is the sublimely simply one spiritual substance of divine mind.
As an artist whose work is exhibited for the first time, being a part of the 'Having Been Is No Way To Be'
exhibition at Mattancherry-based Gallery 27 fills me with a mix of excitement and introspection. This
exhibition highlights the pressing need for Malayalis to appreciate and support art, as Geetha Sai, the
curator, explains, "Gallery spaces may be aesthetically pleasing, but there's still a lack of awareness
among Keralites about the true value of art." It's heartening to see Geetha and her husband Sathya Sai,
experienced gallerists, take up curation for the first time to address this concern.
I feel honoured to be among the nine artists selected from different corners of India, including Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata, and of course, Kerala, to showcase our homegrown talent to a broader audience. The
diversity of art forms, encompassing painting and photography, makes this collection truly vibrant. It's
fascinating to witness the amalgamation of mediums like acrylic, charcoal, and tempera in the paintings,
elevating the entire exhibition to new heights.