Drawing Room: Deena Pindoria finds meaning in Gunjan Chawla Kumar’s art
Gunjan Chawla Kumar’s Sifr series is meditative and repetitive. It shows that something can come from nothing
Gunjan Chawla Kumar’s work seems simple, the lines minimalist and modern. It’s anything but. The artist draws on Indian and South-East Asian textiles and crafts, tribal and pre-historic arts, even archaeology for her works. They involve meticulous handmade processes and philosophical inquiry. It makes her practice both deeply personal and universal.
On Instagram (@GunjanKumarStudio) she describes her ongoing series Sifr, as “an attempt to render sifr, shunya or zero” the essence of all phenomena. The works incorporate pure coloured pigments on Indian muslin. She whirls her pigments “like a dervish” to create “handmade cones, thousands and lakhs of them,” in bright colours and interesting shapes, on a flat plinth. Each piece, though distinct in shape and design, is meant to symbolise the duality of nothingness – the cone is a vessel for emptiness and infinite potential at the same time.
There is a lot of repetition in the production of these cones and figures, making it almost like a meditative ritual. Kumar has credited pre-historic cave paintings – our most primitive acts of creative expression - as inspiration for the series. For me, however, Sifr reflects the journey from materiality to spirituality.
In another series, Bandhani, Kumar uses bentonite clay and muslin to craft knot-like abstract pieces that reference the traditional Indian tie-dye craft of bandhej. I love how these intricate, minimalist forms showcase how different materials transform and merge into each other, how their individuality gives way to a cohesive whole.
Sifr and Bandhani both reflect the labour-intensive processes involved in traditional crafts. They invite viewers to interpret the works through multiple lenses – philosophical, cultural, and personal.
I first saw Kumar’s work at an art fair. It caught my eye because of its intricate craftsmanship and philosophical depth she’d managed to convey through such simple forms. The works felt deeply meditative yet grounded, and seemed to carry layers of history within them. What initially seems purely abstract slowly reveals itself to be a complex interplay of cultural heritage, material exploration, and existential inquiry. She displays a sensitivity to the material world and her chosen mediums explore the relationship between form, space, and existence in very interesting ways.
Kumar’s work inspires me to explore materials better, and incorporate philosophical concepts into my own pieces. The way she integrates textiles into her work and explores their connection to identity and gender, is similar to my practice. Her meditative processes also mirror my interest in psychogeography and the emotional resonance of materials and spaces.
But most of all, I feel drawn to her pieces as they evoke a sense of tranquillity and introspection, encouraging the viewer to slow down and reflect.
ARTIST BIO: Baroda-based Deena Pindoria draws deeply from her Kutch heritage and community, especially Ajrakh block printing made with natural dyes. She experiments with traditional knowledge to create unique modern works.
From HT Brunch, December 28, 2024
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