Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) is proud to present the first solo exhibition in the UK by Bangalore based artist Sheela Gowda at Rivington Place, including a new commission. One of the leading artistic figures of her generation (b. 1957), Gowda is known for creating large-scale sculptural installations. She takes everyday materials as the starting point for works that combine abstract forms with references to society.
Having trained as a painter, in the early 1990s, Gowda moved into sculpture and installation. She has formed a visual language which responds to the complexity of the contemporary world, including its violence and contradictions.
‘I work towards layers of meaning while trimming the form to the extent possible, where the reference or the source is suggested but not stated literally.’ Sheela Gowda
The new work, Untitled (2010), is made up of thousands of wooden chips, roughly carved by craftsmen into votive objects. They form part of a composition of larger frames and doors painted emerald green, peppermint, pink and off-white which also reveal the marks of weathering and infestation by insects. Here the artist balances form, perception and legibility, simultaneously holding a number of elements in play.
Collateral (2007) was made by rolling, arranging and burning incense on mesh frames to produce intricate patterns. This sculpture of ash has a fragmented and broken appearance which suggests a landscape ravaged by war.
Past work includes And tell him of my pain (1998), in which a long cord was produced from many individual threads coated with glue and kum kum (a red dye used for body adornment and rituals). This invokes the internal organs of the body, a Pollock drip painting and artisan labour. In Kagebangara (2007), Gowda sourced tar drums from road workers and used these alongside yellow and blue plastic tarpaulins to form an abstract sculpture. A narrative unfolds that refers to the shelters used by migrant construction workers.
While Gowda has participated in many curated group exhibitions, this individual appraisal is an opportunity for the artist to appear on her own terms.
Related Links:
