Thursday, January 5, 2017

Kochi and Biennale Part 2

“So what is so great about a bathroom? Maybe it looks spacious” That was my first reaction when I saw this bathroom, one of the exhibits at the Kochi Biennale. 



I was standing at a corner and peering in. A sideways glance and I realized how the bathroom was made. Each tile, each item was made by paper rolls. Scraps of paper were cut rolled and glued, forming thousands of layers that make the papier-mache habitat.  


I just stood there in awe. The amount of planning and scaling that must have gone into it.  The creator, Dia Mehta Bhupal, originally from Mumbai, now lives and works in Hyderabad.  A young girl in her early thirties, has many creative work to her credit, and when she is not rolling papers, she is busy clicking, as photography is her first passion.

Moving on I saw these drawings by Orijit Sen. I was immediately drawn towards it and started taking photos. 


Somehow I liked the line work and it reminded me of Mario Miranda and R K Laxman. The subtle humour and the reality of the everyday life in India is very much evident in the drawings. 



  
I wanted to click more, but most of them were in glass cases, which causes reflections while clicking.  

As mentioned in Part 1, I was impressed by these kids quietly drawing on the stage. 


Their work was exhibited for all to see, a good boost for the kids 



Outside in the shade, there was provision for any kid to take up the oil pastels and start drawing. 





I wonder if this was a participant or a volunteer, but I liked her concentration.


More in Part III



16 comments:

Connie Chadwell said...

Wow! Imagine rolling all that paper - but the finish is worth it - just gorgeous! And I love that the kids are using oil pastels - my favorite - and from what I can see, they are very accomplished! And you like Jim Reeves - I love Jim Reeves! Your blog is a delight!

joeh said...

Incredible, but I'm having trouble with the practicality of a paper bathroom.

LL Cool Joe said...

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love seeing children creating works of art. Wonderful.

Linda said...

I love a spacious bathroom!

Anonymous said...

Art for children here in the U.S. has been removed from most schools. It's a sad thing and I often wonder where our artists will come from. Now I know. :)

Parul said...

Wow! A toilet done with paper? That's so amazing. You are right about the cartoons - a subtle humor and so colorful too. Thank you for sharing and stopping by my blog. I wouldn't have known about this amazing exhibition yet.

Alicia said...

Wow...that bathroom! I would love to see it up close. I'm sure they covered it with something protective and didn't just leave it paper. This whole post is amazing. Having just gotten into Art I love the pictures of the children doing Art, that should be emphasized more and more into their lives, rather than electronics. Excellent post!

DUTA said...

Your post with the lovely pictures reminds me that I'm a great fan of items created and manufactured in India, items that are brought in by importers (Sadly, I never visited India). They denote so much talent and creativity!
Good work is probably done with kids in school and the results are obvious in every field of life.

Maniparna said...

You are right about Orijit Sen's works. And, the bathroom is simply unbelievable! Thanks for sharing the pictures... :-)

Jill said...

Hi! This is so fascinating and we are an art loving family! Love to see new and different forms of creative expressions! Thank you for sharing. Enjoy the weekend!

blessings,
Jill

orvokki said...

Lovely photos (including the bathrooms/toilets)
Wish you very Happy New Year.

Nancy Chan said...

There is a lot of patience in the rolling of paper for the toilet. But the finished work is lovely! Great arts and cartoon!

Anita said...

When I saw the bathroom walls, I was awed, but thought much like JoeH above. What happens when it gets dirty/soiled? :)

I always enjoy your photos depicting life in India; especially now that I'm meeting more people from India who have migrated to the US.

Happy New Year!

James said...

The bathroom is amazing!

Lowcarb team member said...

Wow, that bathroom!
I also liked the photo showing the girls concentration.

Taking the opportunity of passing on Happy New Year Wishes ...

All the best Jan

hamaarethoughts.com said...

nice pictures .. interesting facts..
I always loved the army crowd ,we had been in that same crowd once.
nice blog :)