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Tao Art Gallery x 079 | Stories
Last year an enlightening course at Jnanapravaha Institute, Mumbai exposed me to the fine world of “Discourses” through Michael Foucault’s lens. Back then, I studied some western modernists such as Paul Klee, William Kandinsky and Rene Magritte through the classic Theory of Discourse. Foucault defines discourses as "ways of constituting knowledge, together with the social practices, forms of subjectivity and power relations which inhere in such knowledges and relations between them." My learning curve completed a full circle when I recently encountered a contemporary take on this Foucauldian theory.
An Ahmedabad based artist, Khanjan Dalal took over the wabi-sabi aesthetic to allow his ceramic installations and sculptures to redefine and create contemporary discourses. Beautifully laid out on the floors of a Mumbai’s window gallery, Tao Art Gallery, each of Dalal’s pieces create a corner purely dedicated to themselves. The openness of the space and beaming natural light compliments the moulds that organically took form while in process of its Anagama firing. Anagama firing is a Japanese style of kiln based firing which involves around 70+ hours to achieve the desired temperature of approximately 1300 degree Celsius.
Installation Shot- Discourses
Though diverse forms of textural stoneware ceramics and porcelain adorn the gallery space, there are 3 specific artworks that truly stunned me in terms of their visual aesthetics and textual context.
The first artwork is a set of speech bubbles clustered together to build discourses on the notion of identity. The artwork title is borrowed from King Martin Luther Jr.’s famous speech “I have a Dream”- propagating equality in American Civil Rights. This legendary speech on its own was a powerful discourse that eventually stemmed into many contemporary conversations such as Black Lives Matter and support towards LGBTQA+ communities. With every such revolutionary moment in history, there is a certain triumph that peaks up, consequently leaving a profound impact on multiple lives. Dalal has tried to portray this element of triumph through his sculpted shapes and forms. The discourses build around these porcelain pieces may certainly become a point of new conversation for the viewers.
India is a land of avid tea lovers! There is appreciation towards the mere act of tea drinking, from enjoying its strong aromatic flavours to having an evening of ‘chai pe charcha’. Similarly, the land of the rising sun, Japan too has a very prominent tea culture. Dalal introduces the Indian audiences to this Japanese culture through 3 distinctive tea bowls- Chawans, Yuknowmis and Sakes. Dalal’s set of nine bowls almost encourage audiences to enjoy a piping hot cup of tea in this monsoon weather. Interestingly, each bowl has a very idiosyncratic personality of its own - some having a mattified tree bark textured skin while others having an almost glazed-effect smooth finish to it. The diversity in the ceramic bowls also leads me to reflecting on the different types of people that dwell around us. All in all, these clay bowls set in foundations for culmination of two cultures- Japanese and Indian.
Discourses on Stereotype :
Typically in a male dominated society, men are perceived to be strong, muscular and macho. Dalal’s ‘Armour Series’ closely looks at the depiction of masculinity through a twist of wry humour.
"Khanjan adds another layer of humor and irony to his sculptural work for they are placed on a pedestal that has a cow bell hidden under the torso, which could be rung by pulling the thread which the viewer can engage with. Underneath this playful veneer is a serious critique of various manifestations of masculinity."
-Georgina Maddox
In a broader sense, Khanjan Dalal’s ceramic pieces lead on to creating diverse discourses where the past meets the present. All in all, this exhibition lends a visual commentary on social, political and cultural contexts in our contemporary times. The fluidity in forms and textures, leaves a novel experience for every viewer. Neither can a particular piece be replicated nor can its tactile nature be perceived similarly by two individuals at a given moment. Thus, rendering every piece of “discourse” unique in its truest sense!
On display at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
In collaboration with 079 | Stories, Ahmedabad
Show continues until Sunday, August 8
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