INEFFABLE | By Viraj Khanna

India Art Fair (Focus Booth No. B18)

Thursday, February 9 to Sunday, February 12, 2023

Challenging all traditional and observable processes, Khanna pushes boundaries with his latest works. The textile medium, a legacy for him, is embraced but also entirely converted into a different kind of ‘art’. Ancient techniques of Zardosi and Aari go beyond their usual floral decorative motifs and instead create complex abstract contemporary figures. These indescribable figures are created by Viraj in the form of collages or acrylic paintings as the base start point. This pattern is then outlined on to cloth with a distinct vision of techniques and materials to be used to bring it to fruition. The methodology is the same but the intent is completely renewed. He hopes to give hand embroidery the global position it truly deserves - of being acknowledged and appreciated as an artwork in and of itself. This break from tradition in fact helps the craft to sustain and further evolves the perspective of the karigars too. Working together, the final piece is novel and mind-expanding.

Themes of self-reflection and transformation have always been central to the artist’s practice both in the content but also the medium. Coming from a background of creativity, he has perceived the world and its people closely since a young age, wondering on the themes of identity, culture and beauty. The visual aesthetic and its perception by the audience is questioned by him through his exaggerated abstract figures and use of vivid colour and texture. Just like his unique creations, the layers in thought behind it are also interesting to explore. Often, veiled by the idea of how we should be regarded, we seem to add dimensions to our essential selves and Viraj comments on this phenomenon by deconstructing and reconstructing what we see to be true! His art is both an acceptance of but also a challenge to the audience. Through this much needed intervention Viraj establishes himself as the non-conforming hybrid child of Fashion and Art.

Sanjana Shah