Chitrakoot Art Gallery presents
Screenshots of Utopia
Chitrakoot Art Gallery is delighted to exhibit “Screenshots of Utopia” with Radhika Agarwala and Viraag Desai. Radhika has been working on a series and Viraag has recently returning from a residency in Spain.
While they have much in common thematically, their exploration of materials is quite varied. Viraag uses refuse from paint factories,while Radhika meticulously works with a keen understanding of classical techniques and appropriation of cultural histories, ultimately both seem to be creating screens of memories acting almost like a theatrical stage, sometimes of personal objects and sometimes unknown landscapes.
While working separately in their studios in the city and as conversations brewed gradually, both the artists realized that they had very similiar concerns which were embedded in dark recessses of the natural world and both seem to be creating a metaphysical journey. through cultural histories,mythical folklore and graphical forms.
Radhika’s works reminds us of old testaments of cultural signifors, untold fables, depicting a fantastical congruency of bestial forms, medieval figures dancing in disco balls and sometimes conchs and chains stretching over dark surfaces. While Viraag refers to mechanical forms as a point of departure, depicting chaotic arrangements of flora and fauna, figures from various militant scenes on traditional technique of dying cloth surfaces which results in his depictions of living in isolated rural landscapes.
Radhika Agarwala
Born in Calcutta in 1985, Radhika has earned her BFA in Painting from Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta in 2007, Post Baccalaureate in Painting from School of The Art Institute of Chicago, U.S.A in 2009 and MFA Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2011. Represented by ArtEco Gallery, London and having her solo exhibit ‘For Two Lovers’ at ArtEco Gallery,London in November,2013. Her works has been shortlisted for 100 Painters of Tomorrow,Anthology at Charlie Smith Gallery and showed in Stern Maguire, Mayfair, Saatchi Gallery Auction and widely across UK and USA.She was invited this year for two prestigious artist residencies in Atelierhaus Salzamt, Austria and Casa DEll’Arte, Turkey and will be spending her summer next year in Jalovik,Serbia.At present,she lives and work between London & Kolkata.
Viraag Desai
Born in Calcutta 1986. Viraag graduated in 2009 with a BFA The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.He has shown widely shown in USA & India.He recently finished an artist residency in Nielsom Gallery, Grazalema,Spain and working towards a show in Shangai in 2013.At present, he lives and work in Kolkata.
www.viraag.com
CHITRAKOOT ART GALLERY
Presidency Court
55 Gariahat Road
Kolkata – 7000 019
Ph : 2475 2275, 2461 8812
email: chitrakoot@gmail.com
