Melting Ice

Ajay Sharma

History of humanity begins with activities of geography and politics. Although boundary is a geographical expression, the idea of boundary cannot be separated from the essentiality of  historical and political elements. As the humankind evolves with the sense of space, they develop a connection with the place where they live. People always relate themselves with the land where they do various exercises for survival. To secure the space and recognition of uniqueness, boundaries are carefully crafted around houses; so are the boundaries around the  nation.

Boundary for me in a larger context doesn’t confine to just a geographical boundary.  It reflects in various forms such as religious practices, mental blockage, intolerance and so on.  It may protect from invasions or it may bring upon war.  In my works, boundary becomes a focal point for cross-border conflict, at the same time, I try to depict, how a boundary also manifests into religious and communal intolerance and violence, as well as social hierarchy and discriminations.

While working on these themes, I have drawn inspiration from different fields such as cinema, literature, poetry, media and news. In an attempt to decipher meaning out of them, my works involve a subjective way of looking at myriad images that are part and parcel of my life, as well as the visual culture around me. I try to weave in elements of subversion in my colourful and often flat picture-planes by using watercolour and mixed media. If I look back, the consciousness of time in which I live in has always been an important component of my work, although I have shifted gears in terms of method, medium, scale and imagery.

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