A joint exhibition of Manisha Parekh and Pushpa Kumari in the UK

‘Drawing the Line’ at the Manchester-based Holden Gallery as part of The Asia Triennial Manchester II includes the artworks by Manisha Parekh and Pushpa Kumari. The two artists’ individual works on paper offer their contemporary interpretation of peculiar traditional practice. The two look to encapsulate the tensions as well as powerful productivity of contemporary Indian art, as an accompanying note mentions.

The two artists are at the key point of their well-established careers, both sharing a strong relationship with their country’s tradition, both keenly pushing at different edges in slightly different directions: the exhibit of their works symbolizes the dynamic nature of art practices in India in the 21st century.

The fluid rhythmic structure she seamlessly creates though her deft usage of closely linked harmonious forms, which unfold a larger vision, remains at the core of Manisha Parekh’s practice. She has invariably exhibited proficiency for an array of forms, textures and scientific structure, the core of her style. The artist breathes life into ubiquitous inanimate objects that might resemble the human body. According to her, the handling of figures is done so as ‘to relax both muscular and pictorial tension’ in her creations.’

On the other hand, Pushpa Kumari is a talented Mithila artist who belongs to the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar in India. Born in 1969, she has had little formal education, having been trained in what was essentially ritualistic wall painting and which is now largely paper-based with a much broader market for the same. However, she imparts a new generation’s eye and viewpoint to the traditional skill of the region.

The contrast in their work even as their being drawn to the roots is what makes this joint exhibition of Manisha Parekh and Pushpa Kumari worth a look. As a logical extension to the joint show, ‘Extending the Line’ presents works by Lin Holland and Alice Kettle in response to their experiences in India as part of their collaborative residencies with the two Indian artists.