Ranjith Raman’s fascinating fiber art

Lately there has been an upsurge in the use and interest in textile and embroidery in contemporary art practice across continents. While multi-disciplinary artists have used the medium on and off in their practices, there are an increasing number of artists like Ranjith Raman for whom embroidery is the principal form of expression.

His new series of works, entitled ‘Intangibles’, takes place at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke in Mumbai.  In his works done with silk and cotton fiber, one can see stitches, like brushstrokes, veering off in different directions, creating texture. One becomes aware of the power of line. Loose strands, exposed knots, superimposed appliqué and layers of differently colored cloth are some of the complex techniques used in these panels. As light falls on fibers their dynamic tonal qualities add another dimension to the imagery.

Writer and curator Jasmine Shah Varma notes that Ranjith Raman’s work falls within the vast genre of fiber art, which includes wall work, installation, and sculpture relating to a vast scope of contemporary concerns. Bold, controversial and cutting edge work with this age-old medium has relocated the boundaries of art and craft. He doesn’t subscribe to the medium’s prevalent associated metaphorical meanings suggestive of gender politics, violence, pain or fragility. For him it’s not about conceptualizing or contextualizing historic traditions of textiles and embroidering either.

Fibers and fabric are the stuff of his voice and visual language. The gradual repetitive process where every little stitch adds up to make the tactile image is japa, a meditative act for him. The tactile and textured quality of the material is almost a necessity in order to grasp or reach out. The artist quips, “Stitching is like a prayer for me. I am trying to create an inner space.” So it is important to him that he does all his work with minimal assistance. The process of art making is part of his quest and not an agenda.

His academic background compels him to create and review, stitch, unstitch and, on creative impulse make decisions when to stop embroidering a work. He doesn’t have a detailed sketch before he embarks upon the process. He uses the principles of drawing and painting that he’d use with more conventional material. These are paintings where colored thread and fabric are used to create imagery pixel by pixel. The relationship between process and concept is prominent.