Aarti Veer in her studio | photo credit: special arrangement
Earthy colors come alive in artist Aarti Veer’s installation at the Goethe Zentrum in Hyderabad. Twenty-two pairs of legs made of colored clay sit lightly on a semicircular plinth. Taking inspiration from the world around her, Aarti has curated and created the show My Heart Dresses in Black and Dance – Mary Oliver, a collection of abstract watercolor paintings and handmade ceramics, to celebrate World Earth Day on April 22. is a collection of.
Installation of colored soil | photo credit: special arrangement
In February, the ceramic artist was invited by the Goethe Zentrum to display some of her works to mark Earth Day. “Since I work with clay, it was appropriate but in this short period of time, I could not do much work in ceramics.”
However, she did manage to keep some of her undiscovered ceramic works as well as some of the abstract watercolor paintings she created during the pandemic. “Earth Day is a celebration of the Earth but in some ways, it is also a mourning for the things we have lost; There are many species that have become extinct, so many forests are being destroyed completely. We are losing things that we can never get back,” says Aarti, a line from Mary Oliver’s poem titled ‘My Heart Dresses in Black and Dances’ which suits the show and evokes many emotions “Mary Oliver addresses a lot of these things beautifully.”
Aarti gives an example of how the pandemic was terrifying for many across continents but a blessing in disguise for some families. “Earlier, my husband used to travel a lot and after many years, due to the pandemic, he was spending so much time at home. It was good for all of us to spend so much time together as a family. ,
Aarti learned painting but once she started working with ceramics, painting took a backseat. With no access to a studio after she left that place in 2019, she rediscovered paints during the pandemic.
The colored clay ceramic installation, an exploration journey was during a transition. When he had to leave his studio of 20 years in 2019, he sketched his feet and wondered how the land would change. “It was also born out of the fact that we are all different but stand on the same earth. We share the land but the inequality is there for everyone to see.
By Aarti Veer | photo credit: special arrangement
The 22 pairs are made by hand, painted with colored slips (liquid clay with added colored clay) and then fired. The installation of tiles is made from the sketch. Standing on the wet clay, the artist left a footprint. “Everything you do leaves a mark.”
Aarti likes to have different approaches to her work. “Everybody brings their perspective and takes away something else. There are times when I don’t see something that the audience sees. It’s nice when people react differently from me.
Aarti Veer’s show My Heart Dresses in Black and Dances (Mary Oliver) is on till April 22 at Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills.