It was inaugurated on 8 June 2019 and will be open until 8 August, at the Emami Art gallery in Kolkata a large retrospective dedicated to one of the most iconic artists of South Asia: Ravinder Reddy (1956, Suryapet, India).
Famous for his gigantic and colorful fiberglass heads, Reddy is inspired in his works by classical Indian and, more generally, Asian sculpture.
The retrospective, entitled “RASA” – a term that refers to the essence in the text of the Upanishads – allows to observe closely his entire path and his artistic research, which spans a period from 1980 to 2019.
Monumentality and strong colors are his artistic style and one is functional to the other. The dimension allows an exploration of the concavity and convexity of the work so as to understand the impact of the volume on the form. In contrast to this high stylization, his sculptures are adorned with kitsch objects, such as cheap plastic clothes pegs, traditional jewels and lush floral decorations of Indian folklore.
Color plays an important role in Reddy’s work, above all for its capacity to improve and give a deeper meaning to volumes. For example gold that Reddy often uses in his works also because it is a good omen, when used together with primary colors, enhances the shape and texture allowing for a fuller experience of the work.
As for the material of his sculptures – fiberglass – Reddy loves it not only for its versatility, thanks to which it adapts to the artist’s vision, but also because it does not have a distinct color, it is a neutral material. Fiberglass does not have a preexisting aesthetic beauty such as bronze or marble, it is a material of the twentieth century that takes any shape and color the artist desires, leaving the artist maximum freedom of action.
We could say that the essence of Ravinder Reddy’s work lies in a subtle balance between splendor and poetry, the classic and the contemporary, the sensual and austere.
And although the influences in Reddy’s “luxuriant” and sensual work are different and eclectic – drawing from classical Indian sculpture, from the Asian one, as well as from the African, Egyptian and Greek iconography -, the great sculptures of the artist, painted with paint glossy and covered with gold leaves, evoke universal icons.
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