Thursday, April 25, 2013

Exuding mastery over form, texture and her subject matter

Manisha Parekh aspires that all that is created within the confines of studio should share direct connections with daily life. An appropriate metaphor for her art practice is perhaps the cyclical germination of growing forms, involving continuity and evolution.

Within a short span of time, she has established herself as an innovative artist, who is keen to experiment with diverse themes, forms and genre. This is testified by her works in ink and gouache, paintings and intricate layered pieces on board, or her conceptual, site-specific installations. The fluid rhythmic structure she seamlessly creates though her deft usage of closely linked harmonious forms, unfolds a larger vision.

Known for her proficiency for form, texture and clear, scientific structure, Manisha Parekh breathes life into inanimate objects, which may resemble the human body. According to her, the handling of figures in her creations is done in such a way as ‘to relax both muscular and pictorial tension.’ Her foray into art was not surprising since Manu and Madhavi Parekh, her parents, have both been well known painters. Analyzing her work, British artist- lecturer Lin Holland has noted:

“She witnesses her artworks emerge in both subjective and objective frames of mind. As a prominent female artist of the postmodern era, she is intent on her art practice being enriched by human relationships, daily rituals, and enjoyment of the essential routines of living. It’s important to her that the work does not exist in isolation from these elements, in fact they often fuel her creative practice, and the artist pursues quite a close interface between the two (aspects).”

Her keen relationship along with her ability to respond to the intrinsic quality of each individual material is the essence of her practice. She has stated: “I relish working with the purity of a material, narrowing down the boundaries in order to explore in greater depth. Qualities of fiber, surface, opacity and translucency become revealed over time and with regular handling.”

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