IN SOLITUDE I SEEK - ANIRBAN MISHRA
November 10 - December 22 , 2022
"But your solitude will be a support and a home for you, even in the midst of very unfamiliar circumstances, and from it you will find all your paths."- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
The bygone era boasts of a simple life, far from the rat race of the modern world. Even the architecture of those times retained a certain stillness as compared to the towering skyscrapers popping up around us heedless of its surroundings. Anirban Mishra's childhood has been deeply etched in this feeling of simplicity and harmony. Growing up, his city and neighbourhood housed 'purono kaler' houses or old-world homes consisting of one-storey houses encompassed by ample free space. Roads and streets were devoid of the encroachment of modern urban architecture. The daily lives of the people around him were simple, easy and almost predictable.
The past few years have seen these quaint localities transformed from familiar comforting structures to unrecognisable sprawling constructions. Constricted roads and streets are further choked with shopping malls and restaurants. Spacious, cosy homes have given way to tall square buildings, clumped together, fighting for air, thirsting for privacy. The simplicity of a neighbourly life has been lost to a fast paced, despairingly busy lifestyle. Loneliness has replaced solitude.
The recent Pandemic amplified this sense of despair and loneliness. An already alienated city became more isolated and the people within more alone. One needs to find attachment and peace in order to come out of this negativity which has prevailed post the pandemic. Through this solitary confinement, it was important for Anirban to find positivity in the silence of the city.
For Anirban, solitude is significant. Within this chaos of urbanisation, Anirban attempts to seek this sense of solitude which is becoming harder and rarer to come by. He strives to find solitary space within a landscape devoid of open spaces and congested with buildings. Near his home, away from the urbanisation, there lies a river shrouded with greenery and this is where he escapes to find solace from the chaos of this fast-developing city life. Here, he reflects upon and reminisces about pre-urbanisation imagery from his childhood.
The depiction of solitude is a recurring theme in his works which are deeply personal and introspective. They attempt to capture the dizzying difference within the landscape of his hometown and a modern city under construction. The coffee wash attempts to capture the sepia tones of a world gone and it brings a vintage quality to his imagery.
Images
Installation
Press
Design Pataki, November 12, 2022
