'Sardhubaatu': Artist Ravi Chunchula to explore memory, material in solo exhibition

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) Artist Ravi Chunchula will explore the quiet ways in which individuals are shaped by their surroundings, routines and social structures in his solo exhibition "Sardhubaatu: Put Together, Somehow", starting March 6.

To be held at Bikaner House, the exhibition meditates on processes of becoming -- how identity is gradually assembled through lived experience rather than formed in fixed or definitive moments.

It is presented by ChampaTree Art Gallery and curated by Archana Sapra and Pooja Bahri. The word 'Sardhubaatu', drawn from Telugu, loosely translates to "put together" or "arranged".

In Chunchula's practice, however, the phrase resists neat resolution. His figures, according to the organisers, appear composed yet tentative, calm yet inwardly charged, suggesting states of being that are continuously negotiated rather than fixed.

"'Sardhubaatu' is about the quiet process of becoming -- how we are constantly shaped by what we see, where we stand, and who we are surrounded by. These works are less about telling a story and more about holding a moment where things feel temporarily aligned, even if imperfect," Chunchula said in a statement.

Rendered primarily on rice paper, the works allow pigment to settle organically into the surface, staining and evolving over time.

According to the curators, the fragile materiality forms a key part of the exhibition's visual language, echoing how experiences accumulate gradually, leaving subtle traces on identity and perception.

"Ravi's work speaks through restraint. There is a deep attentiveness in the way his figures inhabit space -- quiet, grounded, and profoundly human. With Sardhubaatu, we were drawn to how subtly the works reflect contemporary existence, without spectacle or excess," they added.

So, rather than depicting specific individuals, the figures aim to evoke a shared psychological condition, occupying everyday spaces suspended between habit and awareness, solitude and collective presence.

The opening evening will feature a live theatre performance titled "Where Is My Mind?", conceived by Rohit Chauhan and ensemble. The time-bound intervention will explore belief, conformity, influence and freedom through movement and visual symbolism.

The exhibition will come to a close on March 14.

MG MG