Indian born visual artist Sukant Khurana, in his first solo titled 'Making Via Unmaking', showcasing his collection of about 60 art works in Delhi. These are primarily mixed media with acrylic on canvass being a dominant component, closely followed by spray paints and the use of fire. According to the curator Aakshat Sinha, the display represents a full celebration of pain, pleasure and joy in a brutally honest way. The exhibition here attempts to present a commentary on the journey of the artist’s life both in the US and in various parts of India.The Delhi-born artist, who grew up in India before moving to the US for a Ph.D. In neuroscience in 2003 says through the process of art and creative writing, he continues to explore life's journey, previous experiences of getting stuck in futile efforts, making via unmaking, breaking free from loops, correcting mistakes, and finally finding direction and joy.The artworks are distinctive that they have been put out in ice and rain, molded by fire and tempered with knife and then brushed up to heal. Some works bear marks of bullet shots while some other canvases carries upto 70 layers of paint."This exhibition is meant to perturb more than please, provoke more than cater to aesthetic needs. Most of these paintings were made in the US but some in India too, with some works taking years to complete," says Sukant.In his series in the first part, 'Fake Smiles' Sukant attempts to capture the fake smiles sported by ‘almost everybody’ in a materialistic and artificial life. In the second part, he explains, ‘Path of life is rarely linear and we keep going round and round in circles till some of us momentarily break free’. And in the third part, 'Breaking Free' are simpler celebrations of artwork that are put into a washing machine and reworked again to represent the uncaring attitude of the isolated modern man ‘who keeps dying everyday.’“At best a twisted mirror of reality or a simple mirror of a very twisted reality. I work to create better realities or seek better realities and my art reflects that too just as it reflects inner and outer struggles. Instead of being tied to a style, my work is a new synthesis of media and styles to capture my ongoing feelings,” adds Sukant.Apart from the physical exhibition the artist says the exhibiton is planned for over 100 plus digital works on same themes. The works of Sukant are on permanent exhibit at McGovern Center, Beijing.“My art is a response to the human condition. It not create an alternate reality or provide born-again romanticisms of escape back to family, community and cozy feelings of belonging. My art shows emotional reality of modern urban chaotic selfish life, ” he conludes.Indian born Dr. Sukant Khurana is a New York based scientist, artist and writer. His visual art and writing explore the issues of modernization, displacement and identity. His basic research involves neurophysiology, computational neuroscience, sensory perception, addiction, learning and memory, while his applied research extends into many areas of drug discovery and problems of the developing world. Follow@ARTINFOIndia
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