Skin Deep,an ongoing art exhibition in the Capital,deals with human skin as a metaphorical rather than a physical entity When curator Mohini Varma approached Megha Joshi to create a work that dealt with skin,the Delhi-based artist instantly thought of the scars it bears. Whenever an invasive procedure such as a surgery takes place,our skin heals and tries to forget the pain. But it remembers the trauma. Our skin has memory and that is what I wanted to depict, says the 39-year-old. The idea was transformed into an artwork after weeks of research,when she interviewed 30 relatives and friends to discuss the origins of the scars on their bodies. All of them have had invasive surgeries. Whether for cosmetic or life-saving reasons,their skin was penetrated and each scar that remained had a story of its own a breast cancer survivor,a suicide attempt,someone recovering from a bullet wound,a bypass surgery or a road accident, notes Joshi. The outcome is The Skin Remembers,an artwork featuring 30 panels made of foam and plywood. It is one of the 40 works by 14 artists that comprise an ongoing exhibition titled Skin Deep in the Capital. The work encourages a dialogue that goes beyond the surface of the skin while also looking at its composition,structure,function and its role in shaping thoughts of beauty,race,gender and identity, says curator Lyla Rao. The participating artists such as Yardena Kurulkar and Priyanka Dasgupta have worked with different media,ranging from installations to sculptures and paintings. We have all been victims of the blood-sucking mosquitoes. So,a mosquito bite is the focus of Vishwa Shroffs muted painting using acrylic on paper called Those Bloody Mosquitoes. The work brings attention to mundane activities that people rarely pay attention to. Shroff traces the interaction of the skin with the mosquito right from the moment it sits on our skin till the moment it sucks out the blood. Koumudi Patils black-and-white conceptual photographs,titled Imprint of an Encounter,reflect on how the skin retains the visual memory of its interactions with the outside world. The hand imprint left behind on an arm gripped too tight or the swelling caused by a punch on the face the cries of wounds on the skin echo through her photographs. Skin is metaphorical rather than physical. Skin Deep is a revelation of something being in front of it and something that exists beyond what is apparent, says Shroff. The exhibition is on till September 24 at Religare Art Gallery,District Centre,Saket. Contact: 39126922
