Objects of Worship
Nandini Chirimar

Opening Thursday, November 6th from 6 to 8 PM

 

Objects of Worship is about objects used in Indian Worship traditions. In this exhibition artist Nandini Chirimar explores these objects purely as objects - what they are, their physical and aesthetic qualities, their significance, even their packaging. In another vein, she explores their presence in everyday life and social and cultural traditions associated with them.

While the artist focuses on objects used for worship, she also thinks about the objects of our worship, like Gods, idols and even human beings who are elevated to a God-like status. Nandini further explores the social context of these sacred articles through a combination of art and poetry: some of the works exhibited are inspired by a dialogue with Purvi Shah's poems on the same subject.

The foundation of this show is meticulously detailed drawings on Japanese Kozo paper. From these drawings stem mixed media, sculptural and installation pieces using watercolor, gold leaf, woodblock printing, collage, household items and also actual 'worship objects'. Some photographs will also be displayed.

Nandini's current work is a visual journal of her life drawn from her daily practical, emotional and visual experiences. She is interested in things of daily use, houses, cities, her culture and her different roles as an Indian woman/mother living in America. She uses her experiences with these to reflect our broader culture in her work.

Nandini Chirimar grew up in Jaipur, India. She came to the USA in 1987 for further studies, and did a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Cornell University, a summer residency at the Skowhegan School of Art, and an MFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute. Additionally, she studied viscosity printing from master printmaker Arun Bose, and spent four years in Japan learning woodblock printing from Taika Kinoshita, exhibiting her work and teaching art. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

For more information please contact Michel Allen at (917) 202 3206

Allen Gallery | 547 West 27th Street, 5th floor | New York | NY | 10001