Shraddha Rathi - Ghan Phut

What if… Aging had less to do with the process of becoming older and more to do with the coming of age of an inner beauty that is serene, a deeper wisdom that reflects in thoughtful silences and a graceful quietude that lingers long enough, allowing you and sometimes inviting you even, to soak in these moments and be in a space of appreciation?

What if… The contrasting confluence of modern day concrete blocks and a century old piece of carved wood reveal the impermanence of life today and the strength of yester times?

What if…. Art could reveal itself in the limitlessness of the limited?

Ghan Phut celebrates the unusual convergence of the past and the present, through stories that come alive with reconstruction and revitalisation. Listen, feel, and experience each story in your own way.

Artist Profile: Shraddha Rathi

“Sometimes it is the movement of the world around me that inspires me, sometimes it is the stillness of the moment,” says artist Shraddha Rathi, who lives and works in Bangalore.

Born in 1974, Rathi studied performing arts and architecture. A practicing artist for more than fifteen years now, she presents installations derived from reclaimed wood and concrete, with minimally painted surfaces, in this exhibition.

Shraddha’s initial paintings were essentially an amalgamation of various influences from her architecture and classical dance background. Her paintings of exquisite carvings and sculptures of ancient India were hyper realistic in nature and explored the play of light giving each piece a unique character.

The next few series of paintings were based on Buddha’s life and teachings, and the abstracts that followed were expressed as repetitive patterns, reflecting themes from her subconscious mind, based on life and the symbolic relationship between man and his thoughts. Some of the images in that series focused on pure texture and colour, adhering to the very basic principles of art and architecture such as harmony, balance, contrast and rhythm.

In the past few years, Rathi has experimented with installations in wood and metal that were in essence an extension of her paintings. Wooden logs and metal cut outs with an unusual combination of paint and text on them further augmented her art making and delved into the depth and dimensions of space with an interactive perspective to her works. The highlight of this series was a gratitude bench with engravings of phrases and personal messages of gratitude.

Early this year, she chanced upon carved reclaimed wooden pieces that were more than a century old. Exquisitely carved, these are parts of structural elements of havelis and wadas, reflecting the glorious architecture of yesteryears. Attempting to rediscover the beauty hidden underneath the layers of dust, Shraddha embarked on a process of reclamation and renewal. Her natural affinity for architecture - heritage, modern and contemporary, combined with her art practice locates these wooden fragments as visual markers of historicity and ancient culture. ‘Ghan phut’ celebrates the unusual convergence of the past and the present, through stories that come alive with reconstruction and revitalization.

Rathi’s practice with this shift towards conceptual art and minimalist aesthetics employs found materials that recreate unusual narratives, while situating them within and outside the frameworks of conventional art locations.