Horoscope Art

Following the exhibition of Jaipur-based artist Vinay Sharma is an exhausting task. Not because there is a lot to look at there are just 25 mixed-media works 8212; but because there is a lot going on in each. The works on handmade paper, for instance, have incorporated horoscopes, land registration papers that are over 100 years old and stamp papers burrowed from family archives. The works mostly tell a story within a story, even tidbits like Sharma8217;s father and grandfathers were astrologers who taught him the complexities of birth charts. If an untitled one has a yellowed horoscope bordered with frayed edges, another give an impression of paint still dripping from it while some others are pockmarked to give a weathered look. There is also a generously lacquered inkpot made of gunmetal standing in the centre with an ink dryer and a lengthy scroll that lends a quaint charm. 8220;The inkpot is a munshi8217;s symbol and is still used in Rajasthan. My works, their intense colours and sculpted surfaces, reflect my childhood experiences,8221; says Sharma, 42, dressed in saffron in keeping with the title of the exhibition Om Bhur Bhuwah Svah.