Woven wonders

The showcase includes six artworks. Pics courtesy/TARQ

As an artist, Boshudhara Mukherjee had always drawn inspiration from her own feelings and experiences. Eventually, she got more adventurous and started to look beyond herself but for things that were still familiar - her cats or grandmother's cupboard, for instance. It's part of the reason why her latest solo at TARQ is called The Familiars. The other part of it though, stems from the Wicca legend of spirit guides who take the form of an animal or human, also called Familiars.

Six artworks are being displayed at the gallery, and Mukherjee, whose last solo at the space was in 2016, says a lot has changed in five years. "My earlier works were also made of canvas strips that were cut and woven, but the material has now changed. I would earlier use canvas that I painted on, but there's a lot more fabric now. The shapes have become more organic, and I've done a lot of crochet, patchwork and stitching that I haven't done earlier," she shares.

The scale of the installations varies between two feet and 15 feet; two are inspired by her cats and two were created during the lockdown. "When the lockdown hit, I was stuck at home and didn't have any material because I was supposed to be shifting houses. That gave me the idea to do smaller works, which help you calm down when you're feeling stressed," says the Bengaluru-based artist.

Boshudhara Mukherjee

At a time when uncertainty is still a big part of our lives, Mukherjee says, she hopes that the showcase helps visitors view materials differently. "I'm a hoarder. I keep picking up things people don't want, saying, ‘This is so beautiful, why would you throw it away?' At the same time, I think each audience member will react to the works differently. I don't know what they will take away from it, but I know that I will take away a lot."

Till April 24, 10.30 am to 5.30 pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
At TARQ, F35/36 Dhanraj Mahal, Colaba.
Log on to tarq.appointlet.com (to book an appointment)
Free