Step into the Bronze Age

Among contemporary sculptors, Mrinalini Mukherjee occupies a singular space where for over five decades, she has experimented with several mediums, be it hemp fibre or ceramics and now bronze. Her latest exhibition, titled Bronze, features eight new sculptures, from a selection of sculptures made between 2007 and 2012. The show, which is being presented in collaboration with Nature Morte, Delhi, will see Mukherjee showcasing her works in Mumbai after
a decade.

Cluster VII, a sculpture by Mrinalini Mukherjee

Telling us more about this exhibition, Mukherjee says, "It is special to show in Mumbai after a decade. This is my first showing of sculptures in bronze here, and I hope they are all well-received."

Over the years, organic, vegetal forms have inspired Mukherjee's works. "My works have been influenced by what I have seen and felt in my environment, nature and objects; things I've seen and experienced on my travels."

She wasn't trained as a sculptor and had to learn through experimentation. She admits that she approached her works with no preconceived notions of their behaviour. "The forms themselves are intuitive, born of both accident and experimentation," she adds.

Mukherjee's collection may revolve around bronze but she came to work with the metal by accident: "I was working with wax at the time but wax would melt, so I began to cast. In the beginning I wasn't sure about bronze; I couldn't anticipate how it would behave. Over time, I have learned how to work it to my advantage, to adapt it to my artistic vision. I have learned to balance control and surrender so that the work is as much about material as it is form. Bronze continues to surprise me, to challenge me, and it suits my vision nicely."

Among the artworks on display, Mound IV and Wing II are Mukherjee's personal picks. "Mound, because it has an iconic presence, and Wing II, for its dynamism, its fluidity and movement," she observes.

Till November 31, 11 am to 6 pm
At Jhaveri Contemporary, 2 Krishna Niwas, Walkeshwar Road.
Call 23693639u00a0