installation (2007) Painting by V Srinath

reviews by London reporter, and a French journalist

V. Srinath challenges existing boundaries to demonstrate that everything is possible. Sculptures, paintings and installations represent bold experiments with textures, materials and ideas. A series of cardboard cartons, (Windows and Walls), transformed in a flicker of imagination into apartment windows, each window representing a glimpse into - or out of - different life.
A simple painting, on rough, recycled paper, presents an apple on a dish, seen from a perspective that might not exist. Everything is fluid, flexible and portable. Nothing is permanent.
His art can be derived from simple, unconventional objects - a piece of wood found in a forest, a plastic container rescued from a gutter, the colours of the desert. Inspiration comes from everywhere. Colour is primary. Vibrant, natural colours convey the beauty of everyday objects and extraordinary ideas.
A deep, rich yellow is derived from the spice, tumeric; a stunning red from the earth; and the cold, pure blue is extracted from the plant, indigo. The simplicity of images is enhanced by his own hand made paper, Its heavy texture serves as a fitting foundation for surprising second dimensions.
In one work, corrugated cardboard becomes a barred window, While Srinath's paintings may begin with a colour, sometimes they never end.
For Srinath, creating art is an ongoing process, adding layer upon layer, idea upon idea. "Each time I start a painting I do not know where I am going to stop," he says. "Sometimes I might leave it and work on other paintings and then I come back and maybe I will see something different in it. I go back and start again, as though I am starting a new painting. "I might then decide to scrape off the paint, or paint over my first layer with a white or coloured wash. As a result each painting might be multi-layered, with each layer representing a different idea. Sometimes the ideas remain, sometimes they are obliterated by the paint and sometimes they fade." Pencil outlines can be seen on top of the layers of paint. Defining the image on top of the existing colours - in a sense the first layer has come last. The image defined by the colour. Colour is also used to tell the story, as in much of Srinath's work, all may not be what it seems. There is always another dimension.
Caroline Macdonald .


“….In a recent show titled "Dimensions", the artist Srinath presents his new work with a special focus on material, texture, harmony, and three-dimensional forms. As in his previous exhibitions in Asmara, he continues to experiment with locally found products and recycled objects from everyday life. This indeed is a challenge, a challenge for us to identify in such beautiful art the point of departure, the moment of inspiration in such humble things as warping paper, cardboard boxes, local dyes or even unfolded matchboxes with photos of Eritrean cultural sites and artifacts,' 'Mezekertha Eritrea'.

Above all, ...

• Nationality: INDIA
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Indian Artists