Here and Around Folk Paintings by Shilpa Mridul

This collection of 80 paintings is an expression of both introspection and processing the world around her. Shilpa Mridul reinvents the traditional language of Gond art, of dots and dashes as a medium to express contemporary themes ranging from the mass migration of labourers triggered by the pandemic, to wildlife conservation. Divided into 10 series, we see a deep probe into an array of landscapes that inspired the artist to pick up a brush, chronicling a myriad of illustrations that...
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This collection of 80 paintings is an expression of both introspection and processing the world around her. Shilpa Mridul reinvents the traditional language of Gond art, of dots and dashes as a medium to express contemporary themes ranging from the mass migration of labourers triggered by the pandemic, to wildlife conservation. Divided into 10 series, we see a deep probe into an array of landscapes that inspired the artist to pick up a brush, chronicling a myriad of illustrations that delve into the joyous as well as the grim. We get an exclusive peek into the process of an artist that takes a traditional style and makes it her own with her distinctive creative sensibilities, with pieces inspired by the traditional motifs of the Gond form, along with pieces that reconceptualise the style. In doing so, she seamlessly tethers the present with the past. A recurring theme in her work is hope, manifested in vibrant and vivacious colours. It can be found muddled in the stark reality of our times, but also in fleeting moments of refuge in nature. Her work is adamant to draw your eye to the flicker of light nestled inside every human experience.