Every particular person is engaged in actions to maneuver ahead in life; an ongoing stunt to attain one thing. “That is Kartab for you,” says artist Gurmeet Marwah, who’s presenting his first solo exhibition within the metropolis. As Gurmeet places it, the present delves into the various ranges or angles of kartab, a Hindi phrase meaning act, deed, or enterprise, because it performs out in on a regular basis life.
Gurmeet’s inventive exploration is pushed by this concept or idea of human nature, the place there’s extra to each act than what’s seen on the floor.
“Everyone is involved in kartab, hoping to gain something. Then we strive to balance and maintain it. We are constantly in that loop,” he says.
Gurmeet says his artworks are an exploration of this idea, and is in step with his perception that an concept shouldn’t be confined to a single dimension, while additionally upholding minimalism.
Hazaaron Khawaishein Aisi, from Kartab, a solo present by artist Gurmeet Marwah.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“When I think of an idea, I want to explore its possibilities. I don’t understand the point of limiting it. Painting is the simplest form of expression, but I enjoy going beyond it,” says Gurmeet, explaining how he all the time visualises an idea from completely different angles and views.
Animals characteristic recurrently in Gurmeet’s works — goats, donkeys, monkeys, owls and frogs — each in work and woodcuts. “Local slang in conversations inspired me to use animals as my subjects. For instance, words such as gadha (donkey) and bakhra (goat) are often part of casual conversations, so I began using them in my work. It is not symbolic; it is just the language I speak and have grown up with,” says the Delhi-based artist.
Talking about how some of his latest works painting humanoid figures, Gurmeet says it’s symbolic of a topic he desires to current, and the depiction occurred by the way. “This is the first time I have used a human figure in my art. It was not conscious, but some concepts needed such a protagonist, so it was brought in.”
What distinguishes Gurmeet’s work is the simplicity, and his knack of presenting concepts vital to him with out complexities. In this exhibition, Gurmeet has introduced artworks constructed on on a regular basis experiences, his middle-class upbringing, hierarchies, and societal constructions.
Tiger In The City, from Kartab, a solo present by artist Gurmeet Marwah.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“I come from a middle-class family, and live a regular life in a metro. Many things influence our lives, and they can be personal, societal, or political. Everyone has a perspective or opinion on different topics and they choose to express them in their own way.I do it in the language I know, which is visual art. If I were a poet, I would have written poems.”
Describing the selection of titles for his works, he says it’s a approach to join with the viewers. “It is a way of directing the viewer toward what I’m trying to say without overloading them with information.”
His artworks typically characteristic refined, nearly monochromatic backgrounds, bringing focus to a central object or determine that carries the message.
“I feel an artist’s job is to simplify things. Art is not meant to confuse the viewer. I want the viewer to look straight at the subject and understand my idea.”
Kartab by Gurmeet Marwah is on show at Artisera in Indiranagar, until May 4
Published – April 22, 2025 09:19 pm IST
