Untitled work in jute and indigo by Manish Nai. Courtesy: Kavi Gupta
The visual artist's practice employs creative use of waste and by-products created by our hyper-consumeristic lifestyle
His practice employs creative use of extensive waste and by-products created by our hyper-consumeristic lifestyle. The process (and his technique) to mould and literally sculpt these objects is important in this quest. He is less concerned about the original purpose or histories associated with each object he uses. He rejects the idea of these objects as memoirs of past journey. Instead, he says, “I keep myself busy with the process of creation than to over-thinking the theory. I avoid historical significance of material and information of its origin. That allows me to remain focussed on transforming things into something else.”
To repurpose is an integral part of the Indian ethos. Faded fancy clothes become part of the everyday home-wear, and once they are torn, they become dusting rags. Nai recalls how his mother stored away clothes that he outgrew to barter for stainless-steel utensils. “So, this idea of reusing what has lived its life is something that has always been part of my subconscious,” he says. And once, he chanced upon a cardboard carton stacked away in the loft of his family home. It was stuffed with pieces of jute cloth. “When I removed the jute from the carton, I was fascinated with how it retained the shape of the box,” describes Nai. This, probably, acted as a trigger later for his jute and metal works.
