Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels – Fransesco Goya, the famous painter and print maker once quoted.
Ashmita Mondal’s solo show had a glittery opening at the Alliance Francaise on July 21. Attended by noted artists and critics like Franck Barthelemy and veteran artist Balan Nambiar, her works received rave reviews from onlookers. The art show is a showcase of her oeuvres – primarily her collection of print making which she has been mastering over the last few years. Ashmita’s collection is an eclectic mix of different forms of printmaking like lithography, silkscreen and etchings. Print making has always lived under the shadow of paintings and sculptures all these years. A difficult form of art which requires immense skill combined with persistence and phenomenal accuracy is what makes this art a rarity – which is probably why you won’t find many print makers today. To add to the woes is the fact that print making requires a dedicated studio set up which again, is a constraint.
Speaking of her work, Ashmita mostly derives inspiration from her own society. Her initial work therefore, even includes how, although there are strong emotions for cows in India, they are still widely used as products and are exported. Lot of her works have Krishna as the central theme, as during her growing up years, she was very drawn to the character of Krishna and his benevolence. These works define him as ‘love’ and even shows conflicts surrounding it.
The series called The Play shows India’s popular card games, which has been reinterpreted with mythological characters, with Krishna, yet again rising to prominence. On the other hand, the Dasavatar series consists of works which include conceptualised incarnation of Gods. Her embossing process includes objects that have been removed from their place to leave an impression to show the presence of past times, the presence of attributes and morals of these Gods in the present time. It reminded me of the process of dealing with an inhuman and materialised society.
Speaking about her work, Ashmita says, “As an artist, I have been involved in transmuting the short-lived visuals that in an instinct captures our moral senses. My inspiration has always been my own society. I borrow popular motifs, frames and fragments from festivals, occasions, folk art, painted vehicles which represents the core of India. These lay the foundation for my work which have been reassembled to generate a new level of meaning. Each of my works has layers – it goes through an array of comic, vibrant colours of joy, popular beliefs, and mythology. It also connects one to the present situation around.”
Franck Barthelemy, a noted critic says, “What I find interesting in Ashmita is the subtle balancing of a technically talented young artist between classical representations and attempts to break away from the well-accepted imagery of her culture. Showing her works and getting feedback will surely help Ashmita find a strong and personal way to move forward.” Considering the versatility of the works on display, this show looks promising, and Ashmita looks like an artist who definitely has a bright future.
