Reimagining the idea of India

Monica Arora 

Considering that art is actually derived from life, should artists create art for art’s sake or should they use the medium to convey a message? Indeed, it is vociferous assertions like Riyas Komu’s art which are echoing the sentiments of the people of the Indian subcontinent and are becoming defenders of our ability to express and live freely.

These are voices of dissent, of defiance and non-compliance, of self-belief and upholding values that we, as a democratic, sovereign and secular republic, were promised after the independence from imperial rule. And yet, with the state inflicting several sanctions, prohibitions and dos and don’ts and other cultural restrictions, one discovers the many voices from the art fraternity that have taken the onus of expressing the voice of the people in this suppressive atmosphere.

Kerala-born Komu is one such prominent voice in the contemporary art scenario. He believes in “facilitating infrastructure that promotes young and upcoming artists and offers art aficionados an opportunity to experience indigenous art and art forms rather than always looking to European art for filling in the gaps.” As co-founder of the much acclaimed Kochi Biennale in India, perhaps one of the pioneering and very few art spaces in India that afford an interactive platform to artists from the sub-continent and audiences from all over the world, this was his way of realising his belief. And, he has also to his credit other projects focusing on Art Education in India and has launched the Children’s Biennale, Students Biennale, Artists Cinema, and so on, all of which are diverse institutions based on the common idea of giving a voice to young Indian talent.

His latest solo exhibition entitled Holy Shiver, running as an offsite project of the India Art Fair 2018 at the Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi, is but an extension of his thought process. It resonates with the idea of confrontation with the State’s efforts to suppress individual voices.

His work thus features reverse mirror images of the Constitution of India, a veritable expression of how the citizens are feeling bereft of all the values. Besides, there are oil paintings on canvas featuring Gandhi and Ambedkar, two historical figures with dissenting voices; and yet the artist visualises a dialogue between them. There is a sculpture reminiscent of the bronze sculpture of the Mohenjodaro dancing girl, which is a reminder of how “women in history were perceived either as objects of worship of pleasure.” However, Riyas’ sculpture is that “of a confident young woman facing a chair, representative of the State.”

Such metaphors occur regularly in his work, including references to the ‘Lion Capital of Ashoka’, a sculpture of four lions standing back to back, which was adopted as the official Emblem of India in 1950. Featured also is the lotus, the national flower of India, but a strong Buddhist symbol at the same time. Riyas feels the country is in the same state of mind as was experienced by Emperor Ashoka during the Mauryan reign, following which he adopted Buddhism. “Perhaps, it is time for such a wave to sweep the country once again,” he suggests.