Crossover talent

Is he that fashion personrdquoSunitha Kumar Emmart founder of Galleryske remembers being asked by a guest about Saviojon Fernandes at India Art Fair IAF in New DelhiIndeed Fernandes is that fashion aka resort wear designer from Goa represented by Galleryske since 2022 With addresses in Bengaluru and New Delhi Emmartrsquos gallery is dedicated to presenting art grounded in contemporary Indian culture featuring both emerging and established artists across diverse media processes and approaches ldquoPersonally I donrsquot see Savio as a fashion designer because his clothes seldom follow trends He is not making winter clothes while sitting in sunny Goa they clothes are true to his home and everyday liferdquo Emmart reasonsThe two first met during the pandemic when Emmart visited Fernandesrsquos shop 280 Siolim with artist Sudarshan Shetty ldquoSunitha and I hit it off instantly and she encouraged me to be part of her group showsrdquo Fernandes tells usSaviojon FernandesSo began the designerrsquos tryst with art resulting in two foundobject art works displayed at IAF Their titles are inspired by his favourite lyrics I was hoping we could dance together by Alanis Morrisette and Itrsquos the ones who resist that we most want to kiss by George Michael ldquoBoth pieces sold within two hours on the first day I feel like I am moonlighting as an artist which is amazingrdquoFernandes who defines his work as ldquoconceptual art akin to a vintage teapot ironic candlestand or postmodern furniturerdquo for a while has been a foundobject scavenger You are sure to find him at flea markets in Goa Mumbai London and Europe ldquoFound objects like buttons lace cowrie necklaces glass shards artefacts are my chosen medium and I am moved by the emotion of song lyrics when I create clothes or objectsrdquo he says Embroidered verses are a constant in his art ldquoBut this time we used crossstitch on linen commonly used as an altar frontal and created altars from reclaimed teak wood to mount the objects onrdquo Fernandes says adding ldquoThere is something rock and roll about songwriting There are many elements at play from emotional context to how a line triggers off a memoryhellip I am sure I was a groupie in my past liferdquoItrsquos the Ones Who Resist That We Most Want to Kiss by Saviojon Fernandes features a figurine of Catholic Saint Roch the patron saint of dogs sick and invalids and a dog raffia figurine he picked up from a Belgium flea market Pic CourtesyGalleryskeIt is interesting how reclaimed objects and materials take on a new and provocative character under the influence of his imagination I was hoping we could dance together comprises a set of 11 angels with periscopic eyes they seem to be looking in multiple directions all at once ldquoI noticed I was gravitating towards angel numbers 1111 my birthday falls on March 22 and I have been seeing 1111 a lot on my iPhone It is also a play on the odd number 11 as a dancing pair and a quirky fantasy of the angels wanting to dancerdquo he says Itrsquos the ones who resist that we most want to kiss could be interpreted as a ritual object depicting Catholic Saint Roch who is known as the patron saint of dogs sick and invalids But Fernandes would rather discuss its spiritual symbolism He found this piece at a cousinrsquos home while the dog raffia figurine was bought from a flea market in BelgiumEmmart says ldquoThat Savio thinks he is new to the world of visual art works in his favour he is not burdened by expectation Whether you want to term his work high art or something else the fact that his objects are able to start a conversation excite and engage people across demographics is important Isnrsquot that what art is meant to dordquoNilofer Suleman has long been curious about the human relationship with places and things The Bengalurubased artist started her career with cartography and miniature painting she now maps makeshift myths set in the languorous and lush narratives and embroidered eroticism of textiles and jewellery as vivid as Technicolor musicals If you look closely the details reflect sensory joys like the satiric error we spot in a work titled Mirza Saad Ali Unani Dawakhana ldquoDawakhana is not opening on Fridayrdquo She says ldquoEnglish is not our first language is itrdquoIn Mirza Saad Ali Unani Dawakhana acrylic on canvas Nilofer Suleman transports the viewers into fanciful versions of ldquoroadside clinicsrdquo replete with campy characters local textiles and satiric misspelling right A close up from Unani Dawakhana reflects stories nestled within stories that her paintings are known for Pic CourtesyArt MusingsSuleman spent her childhood in Indore and remembers being wideeyed about its markets and gullies ldquoOne crowded lane contained a tailor shop a photo studio a barber shop all coexisting beautifully Later we moved to Mumbai and lived across Maratha Mandir theatre with its ornate architecture and red chairs Those are memories I canrsquot let go of Mumbairsquos Chor Bazaar is a pilgrimage for me barring the COVID months I have visited it every yearrdquo Suleman saysShowcased earlier this month at the India Art Fair IAF in New Delhi Sulemanrsquos acrylic on canvas works including Mirza Saad Ali Unani Dawakhana Miyan Shahnoor Family Studio New East India Match Works and BagheChinar 1945 Purani Dilli are not definitive commentary on workingclass reality but a selection of experiences imagined to engage audiences in art without judgmentNilofer SulemanSimultaneously campy lyrical and ornamental Sulemanrsquos ldquoexaggerated realitiesrdquo could be described as visual notebooks or even tiny anthropological investigations What the paintings embody is the spirit of collage as they record small cultural moments of human ingenuity nostalgiastroking coloursaturated disruptions of movie posters shop names street graffiti perfume bottles and studio portraitureSuleman professes her love for vernacular textile traditions old brocades Kashmiri embroidery on carpets and Palampore chintz this also extends to Janamaz prayer mats Working with textiles is instrumental in exploring cultural connections as well as personal associations ldquoNilofer agonises over the smallest of details how can I show the pleats on a kameez Despite being an established artist she approaches her work like a student and is always learningrdquo thinks Sangeeta Raghavan director at Art Musings the Mumbai gallery that represents SulemanSuleman was working on Unani Dawakhana when the Gaza war broke out The devastating effect of the war fuelled her to address it culturally with symbolismmdasha small frame depicts The Promised Land and a Palestinian mother in a headdress bedecked with coins and ornaments holding a child in a green head turban within the larger artwork ldquoNilofer is a master storytellerrdquo Raghavan stresses ldquoIn Unani Dawakhana she fills up the canvas with kaleidoscopic imagery nesting one episode inside another arranging them within framed narratives and larger circulating cycles of talesrdquo