By Siddhi Jain
New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANSlife): An exhibition of artworks by a young artist Maya Varadaraj, exploring the representation of women in the popular culture of India, is on view at the online collaborative exhibition platform In Touch till mid-March.
Titled 'Revolution, of Sorts', the show by Nature Morte exhibits the collages of Maya Varadaraj which start with vintage images from the popular culture of India, specifically representations of women. This is the history into which the artist was born, her inherited identities, that she chooses to question. Varadaraj reorganises these images, spinning them in a centrifuge, interrogating their factual status and histories.
The end results are introspective mandalas, hoping to reimage reality, and diagrams to hypnotize the spectator into an alternative universe. The work of the New York City-based artist has been exhibited internationally at Vitra Design Museum, Museo Del Disseny Barcelona, Salone De Mobile, Mana Contemporary New Jersey, and Assembly Room New York.
"Nature Morte is pleased to conclude this year with a new exhibition of works by the young artist, Maya Varadaraj. It has been a pleasure to work closely with galleries 25 from around the country and Dubai over the last few months. We hope we can keep up the camaraderie and spirit of mutual learning, growing and exhibiting in the new year as well," says Aparajita Jain, Director, Nature Morte.
"Maya Varadaraj is an ambitious and talented artist with a bright future ahead of her," adds Peter Nagy, Director, Nature Morte.
The exhibition is part of the fifth edition of the multi-gallery arts platform In Touch, which brings together a diverse range of programs and artists. In its fourth edition, In Touch presents thirteen galleries from India and Dubai. The platform enables the art community to connect with each other through organized and synergistic
exhibition-making that challenges traditional formats of engaging with art.
The initiative was conceived as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused an unprecedented physical closure of public spaces and cultural institutions worldwide.