Urmila VG: January 2018

Friday 26 January 2018

'VISWAROOPA - The Form of Universe' curated by Johny ML and co-curated by Sushma Sabnis @ Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolakata 2018

"Under the Raintree Women's Cultural Festival", Bangalore 2017

AQUA - solo show @ 1 Shanthi Road Gallery, Bangalore 2016

AQUA

"If there is magic on this planet it is contained in water"

Urmila VG is an accomplished print maker and her recent series is - Aqua. In Sanskrit it is called Apa or Jala, in Hindu philosophy the term refers to water as an element, one of the Panchamahabhuta , or "five great elements". Urmila's work is all about the -shape -shifting quality of this fundamental element.

Since ancient times, washing has signified literally and metaphorically a process of cleansing, of purification, of transformation, even metamorphosis. The water itself may contain the power to bring about change, but often it also serves as the medium through which a god, goddess, or priest exercises change.

This translucent creature’s shape shifts between a spinning column of water and a crashing wave. While some artists showed a direct interest in water itself, such as Leonardo da Vinci who was fascinated by water and studied it both as an artist/scientist and as hydrological engineer, many others represented the many attributes of water conveyed literally, metaphorically, symbolically, or allegorically in mythology, religion, and folklore.

For Urmila becoming a mother was an experience and one can look at the body as a container of life. Water is retained in the female body during pregnancy. And we see that collecting water has been seen as gendered domestic chores.

From the burden of representation Urmila breaks into representing water as foam. As with most liquids, water molecules are normally attracted to each other. This attraction creates tension at the surface of the water, often seen as a thin 'skin’. An interaction breaks the surface tension, which in turn allows air to mix with water and create bubbles. These congregate as natural foam. Urmila focuses on drawing each bubble to create a web of life and celebrate it in her work.

Suresh Jayaram.