A new way of looking at the old Smriti Dixit’s mixed media abstracts are an ode to rebirth, recycling and renewal

A new way of looking at the old

Smriti Dixit’s mixed media abstracts are an ode to rebirth, recycling and renewal

    We can touch with our eyes and see with our ears,” believes artist Smriti Dixit whose current solo show Feasting and Fasting acknowledges the craft of sewing that has long been embedded in our culture. Her mixed media artworks simultaneously modernise and individualise sewing by incorporating new textures and patterns into abstract works. She often tears the fabric of her piece only to stitch it back together in different ways. Unlike contemporary artworks which have a sleek glossy finish, Dixit embraces the human process of production and creation. Her process of stitching, tangling and draping fabric is the central element of these textured pieces.
    With the Quilts series, the artist creates a web of stitches and woven thread to contain the objects she collects. These are usually associated with worship: a diya, white cotton, or articles for protection. These objects are mass-produced and have little intrinsic value when they are decontextualised. The artist, however,
draws notice to the properties these items can attain through belief and custom.
    The Nest series is inspired by the poetic adaptability of the bird. The heavy burden of human consumption is elegantly absorbed by the bird who seamlessly incorporates manmade plastic and paper into its home. “It is an indication of how deeply commodity objects have permeated natural processes,” says the artist. Dixit’s nests are composed entirely of interlinked plastic loops that take on an organic quality and shape. She continues her investigation of weaving plastic in Trap, a site-specific installation at the gallery which encompasses an entire room. While the gossamer strands of a web are invisible to the spider’s prey, Dixit’s work speaks of the laborious process of its making, intricately expanded and protracted to engage the space around it. The fragile and seductive quality of the web conflicts with the pernicious undertones of its purpose to ensnare and devour.
Feasting and Fasting is on view till Oct 15 at Art Musings Gallery, Admirality Bldg, Colaba Cross Lane, Colaba

The Quilts series by Smriti Dixit