New Delhi, Dec 22 An online exhibition of etchings, serigraphs, screen printing and lithographs by noted artist Seema Kohli, that captures the journey of Kohli in printmaking, went on view on December 21. Titled 'The Alchemy of Process', it can be viewed on the website of India International Centre till January 3, 2021.
Seema has had over 32 solo shows and she explores the themes of beauty, sensuality and spirituality expressed through her works based on the concept of 'Hiranayagarbha' or 'The Golden Womb' from which we have emerged, which is self-pervading, engulfs every single thing.
Seema's work is inspired by and firmly grounded in her extensive knowledge of Indian spirituality, mythology and cosmology which is most often filtered through the lens of the sacred feminine. An overarching theme in her work has been the regeneration of life which can be seen in extensive and evolving series, 'Golden Womb' and 'Tree of Life', said a note on her exhibition. Her informed and intuitive knowledge of India's detailed taxonomies of mythological, historical and living spirituality is distilled through diverse bodies of work which offer unique pathways through different processes and forms.
In addition to detailed large-scaled paintings for which she is so well known, the legacy of her long career has been one of broad exploration and experimentation in both traditional and avant-garde mediums - diverse printmaking processes though performance and video.
For a painter with such a refined and meticulous control of her medium, printmaking has provided an opportunity for experimentation, chance and accident. As images emerge through multiple states there can be a keen sense of mystery and unpredictability. In some processes such as intaglio, the reversal of an image from plate to paper can be revelatory, akin to seeing a familiar image from a startling new vantage point.
While intaglio printmaking might seem to be the antipathy of the lush colour palette characteristic of Seema's paintings, it privileges a quality of line that underlies all of her work and is particularly reminiscent of earlier primarily linear work. Orchestrating a complex array of visual information through line and tone alone requires a strong command of value relationships grounded by shrewd composition and design. Two very different bodies of work illustrate this superbly. The series 'Unending Dance of Light' share dense compositions and rich tonality.
In each of Seema's 64 Yoginis
( With inputs from IANS )
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