Humane Touch

To most people,household objects like vases,kettles and coins may seem like everyday objects but for Pune-based artist Ravi Songirkar these things symbolise something more. In his new exhibition ‘Just Plugged In’,Songirkar bridges the surreal and the real,to depict how humans relate to their surroundings in their everyday decision-making processes.

Referring to a particular artwork that depicts human feet as land mines,he says,“Everything that humans create is not necessarily helpful to the other people. Land mines may be helpful for the army in battle,but not for the local residents.”

In his watercolor paintings,on display at Malaka Spice in Koregaon Park,Songirkar has used bold colors and a contemporary painting style to symbolise the unintended effects and actions that humans can have on one another.

Similarly Songirkar has used different household objects to directly portray different human emotions and feelings. For instance,there is a painting of a face with a two-foot long tongue reaching for coins. “This painting is meant to symbolize human greed,” he explains.

For each of the paintings in his current exhibition,Songirkar has used watercolor paints,a medium he has used since his days as a student at J J School of Art in Mumbai. However,the similarities to his past works,ends there.

Since graduating from the J J School of Art with his BFA in 1990,Songirkar has continued to experiment with his work,transitioning from life-like landscape portraits to the more symbolic work in his current exhibition. “These paintings are fictional,while most of my other work has been non-fictional,” he says. Songirkar says he draws his inspiration from many Western and European painters,such as Vincent Van Gogh,Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet.

Songirkar’s compassion for humanity is not limited to his artwork. Just last month,he took part in Art for a Cause,organised by the Community Aid and Sponsorship Program (CASP),which seeks to impart development opportunities to underprivileged children. Songirkar donated 50 of his paintings to CASP last month,and several others in 1999 to benefit Indian troops fighting in the Kargil War.

The artist is currently gearing up for another exhibition that he plans to complete by October. “I am yet to choose a theme and symbols that will not only reflect a humanitarian outlook but will also resonate with Pune’s artistically-minded audience,” he says.

(‘Just Plugged In’ will be on display at Malaka Spice till July 31).