This Indian artist has made the country proud. Sheela Gowda has been shortlisted for the UK’s biggest contemporary art prize the Artes Mundi Award. Sheela who lives and works in Bengaluru was unaware about this honour. “I did not know I was nominated till I was told about the shortlist,” says the artist. She was chosen from over 750 nominations from around 90 countries.
Sheela is a trained painter but began experimenting with sculptures and installations. She has showcased her work at various exhibitions like Documenta 12 at Kassel and at the Indian Highway, MAXXI — National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome in 2011. But now the artist is looking forward to the 14-week exhibition at the Wales’ new National Museum of Art during November. “I will be showcasing my work alongside six other artists from different nations. The show will not have a theme and it will be an opportunity to meet international, mature and interesting artists,” says Sheela.
When asked about why she moved onto sculptures and installations, she says, “When I can have lesser walls and more doors leading to different possibilities and I am not afraid of getting lost wandering in and out through them, why would I not take the opportunity to do so,” says the veteran artist.
In fact when she started experimenting with different mediums, the Indian art scene was quite different. “In the early 90s this was a rather unconventional thing to do. I questioned myself all the time. The answers, or possible answers, change the nature of my work. It is not just external factors that influenced this decision. It is inherent in the exploration of artistic language. These days different disciplines and mediums are not watertight compartments,” adds Sheela.
You can see many household items like turmeric, cow dung, coconut fibre and other interesting materials used in her work. Sheela sees meaning in these familiar things, beyond their conventional or traditional use. “I am drawn to them because they are accessible and visible to me. This is just the beginning, at material level. How I use them as my art material is a complex process that has to do with visual communication, concept and modes of perception,” says the artist.
