Sonali Batra, Curator of Great Banyan Art, gives us her top five favourite artworks that are part of an upcoming art show titled ‘Around the World in 7 Days’. The show introduces contemporary international art, specifically from Eurasia, to the Indian art market.
FAKE IDEOLOGY BY ISKANDAR FAUZY
This painting is a portrait of the late Hollywood actor, Heath Ledger, who is best known for his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. In the movie, the late actor created an iconic Joker for the new millennium and made his mark in the history of pop-culture.
The Indonesian artist Iskander Fauzy is known to play with cultural icons, art world geniuses, high-profile politicians and fictional film characters to create acts of visual provocation. He has exhibited extensively in Indonesia including at the National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta (2011) and Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta (2010) and internationally in Singapore (2016) and Hong Kong (2016).
SIAPA LAWAN SIAPA KAWAN BY BUDI UBRUX
Siapa Lawan Siapa Kawan by Budi Ubrux
Many viewers will initially confuse the intricate detail and texture of the paintwork for mixed media. However, this is an oil on canvas works by one of the most progressive and radical artists to emerge from Indonesia, Budi Ubrux. Most of Budi Ubrux’s artworks are almost immediately recognizable as he almost always paints haunting faceless figures draped in newsprint. The newsprint wraps itself around human life, effacing, suffocating and blinding the figures within. The beings ‘wrapped in newspaper’ are a metaphor for untruthful news coverage and the real issues, which are dissolved and hidden. His paintings are a powerful satirical observations of the heavily politicized agenda of contemporary society. His works depict themes of political oppression, the ironic role of the media, and above all, a strong sense of disappointment in individuals and society.
A CIRCLE OF MEMORIES BY GULIN HAYAT TOPDEMIR
This dreamlike-surrealistic work is another favorite of mine. The Turkish artist is known for her eerie works which delve in the subconscious mind to narrate the dark side of human nature, which is also reflected in her choice of colors and technique. By using the technique of chiaroscuro, she masterfully constructs an atmosphere in which her stories unravel. Her works can be seen in the collection of the 21C Museum (Kentucky, USA) and private collections in Europe, Middle East and Turkey. Topdemir currently continues her work in Istanbul. The artist has also auctioned her works at Christies Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art.
THE GIRL WHO DIDN’T WANT TO SEE THE WORLD BY VALÉRIE ANDRIANTSIFERANA
I once again love the meaning behind this work – The artist paints a cactus, which actually represents the aggressiveness of the world. The woman in the frame, protects herself from this violence by hiding her eyes, under the illusion that she is mentally physically safe.
Valérie Andriantsiferana is a French artist whose paintings have aesthetics, meaning and emotion behind them.
LOVE WILL TEAR US APART BY LAURA STOCKL
I personally love this work because it is about a relationship against all odds. The artist paints a couple that is held together by a magnetic love and attraction. I love the way Laura has used cutout scraps from newspapers and magazines in the background of this painting to set the theme of rumour, doubt and scandal.
Laura Stockle is a German artist and fashion designer. She currently designs for the women’s leather goods team at Louis Vuitton. Laura’s approach to Fashion and Art, which in her universe merge seamlessly into one another, is based on a passion for colour and material experimentation to express emotions and subculture. Her artistic influence is drawn from modern and contemporary movements with a particular focus on Western Art from the 60s and 70s. In her work she draws upon emotions and events of her life, telling them in a colourful narrative and experimenting with techniques.
(The show will be hosted at Saffron Art, Claridges Hotel, New Delhi, from March 22nd – 28th, 2017, from 11 am to 7 pm. Works of some of the most promising emerging artists from countries as diverse as United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania, Russia and Indonesia will be showcased. For more, visit Great Banyan Art. )
