The Winning Artwork
Megha Shinde is an MFA student at the JNAFAU, Hyderabad, and her artwork was selected from over 32 entries by Art students from across the country. Megha's artwork was selected with the help of curator of the exhibition, Laura Williams. This is what she had to say about Megha's work.
This is a strong image, the object, confronts the viewer and stakes its claim, that it has a legitimacy. Looking closer we actually do not know what it is. It has an element of time to it.
Curator Laura Williams Notes
The round faces are like those of a clock and the sepia-tone of the background suggests something that has the weight of time behind it. Looking closer we are not exactly sure what the objects reference. We can see three chapatis in the centre, possibly a stole to the left and a building to the right. These could be the basics of life, food, clothes, shelter. Intriguingly, the building has an institutional quality to it, possibly a University. Is education a basic right? Looking closer we can see the paper plate that the chapatis sit on. We are unsure of the medium, is it a painting, a photograph that has been digitally enhanced? The image plays with ambiguity beautifully allowing the viewer to stop and think.
About the Contest
In March 2016, the curator, Laura Williams invited entries for an interpretation of the playing card, “Three of Clubs”, from art students who were pursuing an Arts degree from a recognised art institute in India. Students had the same remit for the artwork as the senior artists.
About Deck of Cards | Taash ke Patte
In early 2016, fifty-four leading Indian artists were visited by Laura Williams, owner of UK Gallery Art 18/21 and curator of the exhibition in New Delhi. They were asked to make one artwork, in any medium, to represent a playing card they had selected from a pack of normal playing cards.
The result is the extraordinary show, Deck of Cards | Taash ke Patte, currently on show at the British Council Gallery, in New Delhi till 15 May, 2016. The exhibition comprises 54 artworks made by a group of India’s leading artists, and another set of artworks by 54 UK artists, which comprises images from a deck of playing cards.