Well-known photographer shows how sudden lockdown in the US changed his art

Vilasini started to think deeply about photography, its fundamental idea as “drawing with light” and the meaning of creating when one was in isolation from the world.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 20, 2021 10:34 AM IST

Koregaon Park, Photography, Vivek Vilasini, Kerala artist, Vivek Vilasini photographer, Pune news

Vilasini turned his camera on leaves and enlarged its parts, and began to see entire landscapes.

How does an artist respond when his three-week visit to the US turns into a four-month stay because of a sudden lockdown? On the white walls of the Vida Heydari Contemporary Art Gallery in Koregaon Park are a series of photographs that might not have happened if Kerala-based multimedia artist Vivek Vilasini and his wife, artist Meena Vari, had not found themselves constantly moving through homes and spare rooms of their good friends and collectors in Chicago, Cincinnati and Kentucky, among others, feeling like aliens, in isolation and without his regular camera.

Vilasini started to think deeply about photography, its fundamental idea as “drawing with light” and the meaning of creating when one was in isolation from the world.

“I was photographing the lights that were in the room and, from there, I began playing with light and trying to compose with light. It opened up a whole new world for me,” says Vilasini.

These are works that make up his first solo in Pune, titled, “Between One Shore and Several Others”. He has captured colours — using bulbs, LEDs and lamps — and played with movements of lights and cameras.

The abstracts depart from Vilasini’s oeuvre of photographs that are staged, representational and political.

The artist is best known for works such as Last Supper-Gaza, in which Leonardo da Vinci’s classic has women in hijab seated at the long table to draw attention to the Palestinian cause. Recruiting Station is a work showing a group of young Indian men, in desperate need of work, in front of the US Army’s recruiting station in New York’s Times Square.

The men are arranged to look like a horse, which has multiple references to war and conflict in literature and history, so that the work becomes a storied comment on socio-economic disparities and power equations.

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In another famous set of photographs, Vilasini showed the many faces of Mahatma Gandhi – statues and busts of the Father of the Nation that make him look like L K Advani, Groucho Marx and even Vilasini’s high school art teacher.

Even after travel resumed and Vilasini returned to India, he has continued his experiments with photographing light.

The later works, too, are on display and show the artist’s journey from the first experiments. He calls this series the Quarantine Suite.

The other two walls of the gallery are predominantly green — and appear to draw attention to a planet that’s approaching a climate catastrophe. Vilasini had turned his camera on leaves and enlarged its parts, and began to see entire landscapes inhabited in the leaves. Veins resembled dirt tracks and the surface texture recalled rolling hills.

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“I was looking at these plants, the leaves in particular, and my mind began to roam over them. I felt it was important to bring this in the realm of my art practices, to highlight the subject of the environment so that these get an airing. These works are a way of having this discussion,” he says.

Vilasini took these images at his food farm in Munnar, Kerala, where he grows more than 400 types of fruit plants and several vegetables. It is a response to climate change and humanity’s need to adapt to new and sustainable agricultural practices.

“Climate change will touch everything. Inspite of that, people are trying to live. We have to find new sustainable models, especially in food that are also nutritional powerhouses and have medicinal properties,” he says.

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Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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