Titled Imprint, the display can be broadly categorised into the paper and book projects
Curator and gallerist Sharan Apparao has an ‘unhealthy’ obsession with paper. She has travelled as far as Europe in search of the odd, rare, haphazardly scribbled sketchbook, an unexpectedly beautiful pop up book, or simply a clipboard of stray sheets of paper between which lie fleeting ideas waiting to be fleshed out — each belonging to artists; all tangible parts of an artist’s creative process.
She chuckles, “I am dying to open a paper shop. I must have been a paper collector in my last birth or something.”
One of the artworks on display
And so, it is only fitting that Sharan’s rather large curation of art for The Hindu Lit for Life 2025 (on January 18 and 19) has the medium of paper — more specifically practising artists’ imprint — at its centre. Works of 106 artists will take over Lady Andal School over the weekend to give the festival audience a peek into the psyche of an artist, etched on paper: as personal as it gets.
Titled Imprint, the display can be broadly categorised into the paper and book projects. The book project, curated by Shijo Jacob, explores books as a conceptual component of an artist’s creative project. Sketchbooks, artists’ books and clipboards dominate this curation that share a glimpse of an artist’s formative stages of creation. The paper project on the other hand uses paper as a medium by reimagining them into installations and complex sculptures. The show attempts to be a reminder of paper’s structural brilliance.
One of the artworks on display
“The way they are different is that the book project is about the inner ruminations of an artist, a documentation of the thoughts and ideas that make their artwork. The other curation has artists who use paper to make artworks, for instance, one of them has used Rajagoapalchari’s The Mahabharatha and woven a portrait of the author. Paper is used as a sculptural medium,” says Sharan. She points to a particular sketchbook by Tanjima Kar Sekh whose usage of Islamic calligraphy and Mughal motifs were an instant draw. Ankon Mitra, Archana Kadam, Vasudevan Akkitham, P Suresh Kumar, Kunal Kundu, Sangeeta Kodyimala, Janaki Lele are some of the participating artists.
The books will be displayed on cross-stands, while the clipboards will be on the walls. While paper artworks take over Slate, the arts venue inside the school campus, an earmarked outdoor space, will also show some of the rare books.
Curator Sharan Apparao
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement
“It’s all about ideas at the end of it. With paper being such an integral part of our literature and media, I thought using paper here made sense,” says Sharan adding, “We are very excited that we are going to get an erudite and interested audience, and a large one at that. This is a very lovely opportunity.”
On view at The Hindu Lit for Life in Lady Andal School on January 18 and 19. The show will move to Apparao Galleries, Wallace Gardens, from January 22 to February 15.
Co-curator Shijo Jacob
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement
Published – January 15, 2025 01:27 pm IST
