Nandakumar PK’s solo show ‘Tied to the Waves’ opens at the Stainless Gallery

The artist’s Delhi exhibition presents works in wood, bronze and steel that merge myth, repetition and spiritual rhythm

"My mood of the day reflects on the progress of the work. If I am in a bad mood, I might break some parts,” says Nandakumar (photo: file)

For artist Nandakumar PK, sculpting is a dialogue between faith, memory and material and not just creation. His solo exhibition ‘Tied to the Waves’ at the Stainless Gallery, New Delhi, ongoing till November 16, brings together his works in stone, bronze, wood and steel – each layered mythic echoes and personal reflections.

Curated by multimedia artist Riyas Komu, the show explores what he describes as Nandakumar’s ‘spiritual return’ – a process of redeeming ideas, by coming out of cocoons of traditions and ennui. From Buddhist legends to Kerala’s temple rituals and legends, his works move fluidly between the sacred and the tangible.

For Nandakumar, art begins where transformation takes shape. “As an artist, what we do is transform a thing into something else. It could be a stone, but we transform it, both metaphorically and physically. Along with that there is a transformation that is happening within,” he added.

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chandelier that resembles an inverted stupa, and is titled Miracle at Saravatti, inspired by a legend from Buddha’s life

One of the pieces that stands out in the exhibition is a chandelier that resembles an inverted stupa, and is titled Miracle at Saravatti, inspired by a legend from Buddha’s life. “The legend says that after attaining enlightenment Buddha visits the kingdom of Saravatti. When he goes to the king, asking for food, the king in turn says, “why just food, ask for anything you want.” The king learns his lesson, when Buddha multiplies his form and begs for food,” says Nandakumar, narrating the legend that shaped his work. The bowl and the cube, which together form the stupa, are multiplied and found at different spots in the gallery, thus symbolising the story.

Among the works on display, his work Tied to the Waves – a set of seven mild steel sculptures in rusted hues of green and brown – the exhibition’s centrepiece, is also the piece from which the exhibition gets its name. “You can’t tie anything to the wave. The waves are always moving, in motion. You just go with the flow. It is ironic,” he said. The piece is in a way an acknowledgement to life’s impermanence and constant movement, and the futility of holding on.

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Water and water bodies are a recurring theme across his works. “Water holds memory,” he said. “Puddles are good – they feed ponds, ponds feed wells, and wells feed rivers. We don’t take care of this flow,” he said, describing the photographs of puddles that he had taken in Leh. Another recurring structure in his pieces of work is the Kulam or pond.

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Water and water bodies are a recurring theme across Nandakumar’s works (photo: file)

The act of making is never pre-planned for him. “It is an organic process for me. My mood of the day reflects on the progress of the work. If I am in a bad mood, I might break some parts,” he explained while talking about the expressions on his sculpture Interrupted seeing (oola).

In his installation Sherpa’s Way, he shows the different points through the Himalayan trekking point. The multimedia installation took form from an idea to a physical figure at the gallery. “The beauty of the installation is that I also saw the whole piece in a completed structure along with others in this space,” he added with a laugh.

Another striking piece includes Rooted Up, which reimagines the tree and the pathway through it that he had encountered during his stay at Mussoorie. The branches of the tree are reaching upward like inverted faith. “Instead of uprooting, you’re rooting upwards,” he said, explaining the idea behind the sculpture.

Through ‘Tied to the Waves’, Nandakumar invites viewers to not just view his works passively, but to engage with it. He says, “I’m just making the base. You develop on it. I’m giving you an empty bowl. You need to fill it.”

The exhibition is on till November 16.