The Residue of Space and Body

The Inception Grant Solo Show by Yashwant Singh | Curated by Rahul Kumar

In partnership with Triveni Kala Sangam

It is fascinating to consider the idea of space, and when does it really occur. Does it have to be
contained in physical boundaries, or could it be a metaphysical idea? For Yashwant Singh space is
an ever-changing continuum. He believes that humans are witness to this phenomenon. Having
grown up in urban cities and small homes with paucity of space, he desired to engage with
locales where nature took over what was abandoned by the humans. In the process of this
encounter and dialogue, Singh found himself a part of the space. A meditative phenomenon, he
ceased to see himself as a foreign identity. And in doing so, his art has elements of romanticized
reminisces of the past, the déjà vu. He relates his body with the objects and space around it. He
finds a rhythm and coordination while wondering, both physically and mentally. The filtration
and imagination lead to his imagery where elements from nature often shape space with his
own body. The use of twigs and grass allows him to explore the possibilities of his medium.
There is uncertainty and an unplanned approach through the very process he uses to create his
work. The physical manifestation for Singh is through his deliberate bodily gestures. The
element of chance is also akin to the very existence of the grass and bushes that grow
seasonally. They are unplanned, constantly changing, and seem to exist without a particular
purpose. The space they occupy are less interfered with by humans and they largely remain
unnoticed. Singh creates unique mono-prints in real-size using these found elements. The
process of image making for him is intuitive. The use of soot and carbon as a remanent of fire
have natural connotations of the residue, the distilled matter on one side and the circular nature
of our cosmos on the other. Metaphorically, it is a confluence of nature, body, and space. The
monochromatic works of Yashwant Singh encourage viewers to experience the idea of
overlapping occurrences and inter-relationships of space and body.

– Rahul Kumar