'Of Fire and Earth' Online Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramic Art in India Hosted by Dhi Artspace

Art and Artists make their presence felt during pandemic which is looming large over everyone be it business or human beings. ‘Of Fire and Earth’, an online exhibition of contemporary ceramic Art in India presently hosted by Hyderabad-based Dhi Artspace. The show brings together a dynamic range of practices of eight prominent ceramic artists – Falguni Bhatt, Loganathan E, Mudita Bhandari, Rahul Kumar, Rekha Goyal, Shirley Bhatnagar, Shubhankar Das, and Vinod Daroz.

The exhibition is on view until 15^th June, 2021. Visit the show here dhiart.com/of-fire-and-earth.

Ceramic artists - Rahul Kumar

The show opens up the potential of clay as a medium of expression, introspection, or reflection of the world around us. “Before clarity, there are questions. Before emotions, there is the turmoil of silence. Clay works in much the same way - before simplicity of form there is complexity of the process, of translating emotion and thought,”  says Rekha Goyal, whose serene yet austere works introduce the moods and memories of water to ‘Fire’ and ‘Earth’. Such an introspective inclination resonates in the works of Falguni Bhatt, whose visual language is rooted in the liminal space between comfort and discomfort, old and new, familiar and unknown; seeking a balance within. Her interests in architectural spaces seem to be in dialogue with that of Mudita Bhandari - an artist with a leaning for the non-dual despite the duality. To create fluidity and identity of meanings, she embraces the ideas of space and dimension. The sense of space resides in the works of Rahul Kumar as well; as they allude to the spatial panoramic view of earth or magnified image of the body. In his words, “My visual references call out the dichotomous inference of the image”.

Ceramic artists - Shirley Bhatnagar

A welcome break from the perfect harmony of the oeuvre of these artists is that of Shirley Bhatnagar, whose spontaneous, humorous, apparently childlike and often functional works stem from her interest in socio-political history. But she is not the only one. Complemented by the symbolism of eye as a key to the outer world in the practice of Subhankar Das, or of architecture and animals as metaphors of statics and dynamics by Loganathan E, the show concludes with the striking works of Vinod Daroz, who brings in allusions of history and mythology with uniquely handcrafted mortars and pestles.

Cohesive in material and eclectic in concept, Of Fire and Earth touches, very subtly, the soul of the medium - the tireless striving to distill complexity into innocence.  

Bhargavi Gundala the brain behind Dhi Artspace is so passionate about art that she has provided platforms to many artists who have reached a position of awe. Commenting on this show Bhargavi says, “This is one domain which always lived on touch and feel concept, however the current situation has forced us to hunt for avenues. I am glad we are able to integrate technology and allow the artists to stay relevant amidst the current situation.”

Please visit this link for overview of the show: www.youtube.com/watch?v=isn1K_IBgKU

About Dhi Artspace

Dhi Artspace was envisioned as an incubator for young talents and a seamless space for dialogue on contemporary art that represents both the emerging artists and established masters. An empirical centre for art-lovers and collectors, the gallery is committed to creating a discourse on art; with curated shows and a variety of workshops, exhibitions, talks, retrospectives and community art projects that challenge the existing metric. Founded in 2014, Dhi Artspace is centrally located in the city of Hyderabad, with the gallery having finest display facility and a fully equipped printmaking studio open for the art practitioners.