Textures of loss

Last year ended with an exhibition of works that emanated from a deeply personal experience encountered by the artist. The artworks in question were a reflection of loss and death. Ravikumar Kashi held an open studio of these works in ‘Shadows Left Behind’ at 1 Shanthiroad, where he presented photographs, assemblages, various objects, text and a video which were meant as a homage to his deceased parents and his younger brother, all of whom he lost in the last few years.

The objects that were on display were not mere personal artefacts that belonged to his family members, but most of them have been represented in ways that explored meanings in how their lives intertwined, differed and found both points of contention and harmony. These objects with their implicit and composite meanings created montages of stories that reflected upon the presence and absence of each of the family members while attempting to reconcile these conflicting notions.

According to Kashi, “As I came to terms with the loss, these works emerged organically as a means of exploring my own emotional as well as psychological connections with each one of them. Despite their physical absence, there were images, words, places, songs, objects, fabrics, textures, patterns, colours, sounds, and smells that triggered certain patterns of memory and opened up the past. At the same time, an acute awareness of the fragile, ephemeral nature of the body remained omnipresent.”

It was this aspect of the fragility of the body and the transient nature of life, which resonated with the viewers. ‘Kaya/O Brother’ dedicated to his younger brother, appeared as a rib cage made from handmade paper around a wire structure and evoked a strong visceral response through the gaping holes and the delicate material.

‘Singing Along with My Mom’ was a set of digital prints, which he worked on in 2018 during his residency in Italy.

It was an act of acknowledgement of his mother’s love for singing, and their shared fears and hopes, reflected through photographs of her songbooks interspersed with imagery which celebrates these points of harmony. ‘Touch/Patterns of Memory’ were a series of digital prints of images of her sarees which were distributed among members of the family, after she passed away, and fabric pieces bound in the form of a book, made from pieces of apparel used by his father. The associated memories were encapsulated in the touch and patterns of these fabrics.

An old dusty electronic typewriter sat on a table with several typewritten sheets spread around it, and the sound of the typewriter accompanied it, sporadically. “My Father Said (Second Iteration)” assembled several paraphernalia that pay homage to his father, who worked as a typist for several years. He discovered many aspects about his father only after his demise — from the pages of his father’s diary about Kashi’s achievements and parental pride. The divergent viewpoints, verbal and non-verbal dialogues and interactions were juxtaposed through the pages. “Indelible Echoes” explored the imprints of people, and their memories, and offered a glimpse into their personalities. For the artist, who has always been interested in objects, their proximal meanings and the subsequent narratives which are generated, this work evoked the complicated relationship and connections he had with his father.

“Showing these deeply personal works was my way of sharing with a larger audience how loved ones linger in our present in innumerable ways, and hoping to find a resonance in how we perceive our past,” summed up Ravi Kashi. 

Dab Hand is your fortnightly art world low-down.

The author is a Bengaluru-based art consultant, curator and writer. She blogs at Art Scene India and can be reached at [e-mail]