KanchanaGupta Open
an ana upta s pra ti e y es materiality it pr ess and t is is b t t e impetus and stru ture be ind m st f er r s e materials t at s e depl ys range fr m u tidian s ially l aded substan es li e vermilli n p der enna and sandal d t il paint and anvas and t nstru ti n materials li e ute and tarpaulin a brings its n parti ular identity s ial symb l gy te ture stru ture and l ur i s e manipulates using a mbinati n f studi and industrial pr esses irreversibly altering t e in erent pr perties and nte ts
er ng ing fas inati n it t e materiality f paint as seen er investigate t e p ysi ality f t e medium in er t -dimensi nal r s mi ed media and m re re ently t r ug er s ulptural installati ns er pra ti e as been des ribed as a pr ess-driven e pl rati n f and resp nse t urban envir nments e pressures f unpre edented migrati ns rapid urbani ati n and ver elming gl bali ati n are e pressed t r ug t e e treme manual and industrial duress t at s e sub e ts er medium t
upta as ad several s l e ibiti ns in luding FOLDED PIERCED
STRETCHED illman arra s Singap re 458.32 Square Meters Sullivan+Strumpf Singap re 1 Traces and Residues i ard ine Art Singap re 17 and Identity II nstitute f ntemp rary Arts ASA llege f Arts Singap re 11 er r as in luded in The Sceneries and Portraits of an Era - Featuring the Asia Collection of Benesse Art Site Naoshima at t e u uta e use Asian allery S d s ima apan and m st re ently as a finalist in e S vereign Asian Art ri e
Link to Curriculum vitae
O en and Close 2 il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e 1 7 5 cm framed
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il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren
ma ine made la e
117 cm framed
A 1
SGD$ 17,000
O en and Close
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren
ma ine made la e
11 5 cm framed
A 1
SGD$ 1 ,000
O en and Close
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff rean
ma ine made la e cm framed A 1 7
O en and Close 22 il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed
O en and Close
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed
A 1 7
SGD$ ,500
O en and Close 24 il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e
7 5 cm framed
A 1 1 SGD$ ,000
‘Through its history of international trade, as a female craft, and a sustained presence in women’s fashion, lace is a complex signifier of femininity, colonisation and the Church. A symbol of status in pre-industrial revolution fashion, it has since assumed opposing associations with the erotic and the virginal. It adorns, conceals, reveals and fetishizes the female body. Cognisant of these knotted histories, Kanchana seeks to translate memories and traces of place in her work with the material. This encoding is evident in her material listing: “Oil paint skins burnt and stripped of lace.” Each work consists of up to 30 layers of oil paint, pigment and torn lace which are separated with fire and then peeled back to reveal a contemporary lace that is distinctly of Kanchana’s making.’
-Emma O’ Neil
Kanchana Gupta, Open and Close #25, 2024 (Detailed View)
O en and Close 25
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed
A 1 1
SGD$ ,000
O en and Close 2
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed
A 1 1
SGD$ ,000
O en and Close
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed
A 1 1
SGD$ ,000
O en and Close 4 il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e cm framed A 1 1 SGD$ ,000
O en and Close 8
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff orean ma ine made la e cm framed
A SGD$ ,500
O en and Close 2
il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren
ma ine made la e
5 cm framed
A 7
SGD$ 7,000
O en and Close 5 il paint s in burnt and stripped ff ren ma ine made la e 5 cm framed
Open and Close a e n e ean n s n a n n
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an ana upta appr a es abstra t painting it a s ulptural sensibility and a een a areness f and appre iati n f r materiality and pr ess Sub e ting paint t eat until it f rms a film t at an be manipulated and stripped upta reates layered r s f distin tive l ur te ture and mple ity e ra s tears and uneven edges f ea paint s in attest t er singular pra ti e t at dra s fr m t e aest eti s and materiality f painting and t e p ysi ality and pr ess f s ulpture
ver t e years er vari us painting series and er perf rman e vide pra ti e ave al ays been n eptually gr unded in er enduring interest in te tiles in t e fabri s and fibres f t e everyday -- fr m t e ute sa s t at ld ur grain t t e tarpaulin used in nstru ti n sites and t e sil iff n f ndian sarees upta s pra ti e finds nvergen e it t se f t er artists gl bally ave re gnised t e p er f te tiles t mmuni ate mple layers f meaning in ntemp rary s iet y tte ns n a urat r at t e arbi an Art allery in nd n a n ledges t at te tiles ave a p lyp ni p tential n t nly in t eir material f rm but als n eptually in t e ay t at t ey an be b t deeply pers nal and intimate materials f r selfe pressi nism and spea t stru tural p liti s 1 n upta s paintings te tiles serve as a material imprint surfa ing pers nal s i -p liti al e n mi and ultural meanings f r er as an artist
n Open and Close er late t erie u ta e lore t e elicate a ric o lace a material t at ol man ric connotation or t e arti t er intere t in t i a ric e an urin a re i enc it a local art or ani ation in in a ore ere e e an re earc in on t e te tile tore in am on lam t e cit ala uarter i coverin t e variet o colour ul lace availa le in t e o u ta reali e t e o er ul er onal an i torical i ni icance o t i a ric ic eave a connection et een er ometo n o atna a centre or lace manu acturin in n ia an er a o tive omelan o in a ore e i tin erce tion o t i a ric acro time re ar e i toricall a a m ol o tra ition an ealt in t e t t centurie ut more recentl een a a contem orar i ni ier o emale i entit la our an e ualit al o rovi e t e oun ation or t e conce tual e loration o lace in u ta ne aintin
1 tte ns n read eaves t e rld nversati n it ells ray-Smit tte ns n and Amanda inat in nravel e er and liti s f e tiles in Art e at uni restel erlag in ass iati n it t e arbi an entre and Stedeli useum p
i ely first intr du ed in t e 15t entury in taly la e translated t e pen and l sed ge metri latti e r f slami ar ite ture int te tile f rm using t e simple needle and b bbin te ni ues already used f r trimmings f dresses and d mesti furnis ings As te ni ues devel ped m re mple designs li e fl ral patterns and narrative imagery ere made p ssible and t e n ledge f la e pr du ti n and l al patterns and designs ere spread idely t r ug s ial and trading net r s a r ss ur pe in t e 17t entury it ey entres f r la e devel ping in landers Spain ran e and ngland e pr du ti n f andmade la e as vie ed as a d mesti a tivity made nly by feminine ands eit er at me r it in t e alls f a nvent -- a meditative raft t at served t m ld t e ideal feminine ara teristi s f m desty submissiveness and piety ver t e enturies its gendered status did n t ing t deny its impa t n ur pean fas i n and s iety la e as a te tile t at signified all t at as lu uri us ig ly desirable and ne t as t e ig lig t and s metimes t e m st e pensive mp nent f garments rn by ri and p erful men and men fr m ur pean r yalty and arist ra y t leaders f t e at li ur and later t se in sear f t e fabled status
t at la e imparted
t as nly en me ani al l ms ere devel ped during t e ndustrial ev luti n in t e 1 t entury and ma ine-made la e be ame idely available t at t e andmade la e industry began t de line and be ame primarily a pers nal pursuit in t e est utside f ur pe l nisati n trade and missi nary r ensured t at la e pr du ti n ad been intr du ed in untries li e ndia Sri an a and ina but ile s me small mmunities f men artisans ntinue t pr du e la e in t e traditi nal ay in t ese untries t e urrent la f a gl bal mar et f r andmade la e means t at t ey struggle t ma e a living and ann t even aff rd t buy t e fabri rafted by t eir n ands
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Kanchana Gupta,Open and Close #1 , 2024 (Detailed View)
st la e fabri s s ld t day are ma ine-made ad rning ntemp rary l t ing designs and de rative te tiles used f r me interi rs it t eir elegan e and s p isti ati n
isible nly up n l ser bservati n f t e painting s abstra t surfa e t e deli ate patterns imprinted n upta s paint layers pen t e r s up t ne readings i e t e mple patterns t at are ven int la e t e s i -p liti al e n mi and ultural narratives t at an be f und a r ss its l ng ist ry lend t emselves t a ri n eptual reading f upta s r s As an artist find la e t be a mpelling material due t its ist ry f being e lusively rafted by men t as been instrumental in ad rning b dies t nvey signals f status ealt p er and er ti a s e e plains in er artist statement y artisti interest entres ar und t e ev ative and p erful interplay f la e patterns t aptivate and nfr nt t e audien e ev ing b t de rative and un mf rtable sensati ns n t e visual and vis eral level 7
impart t e tra es f la e nt er paintings upta first builds up layers f paint in vari us l urs nt a large s at e f la e en t e paint s ins ave rea ed er desired t i ness s e t en eats t e material it an industrial eating gun ned by m nt s f trial and err r s e n s ust mu eat t sub e t er paint layers t t little ill ma e it imp ssible t peel t e paint ff but t mu ill ause t e la e t burn and ad ere t t e painting en t e paint as suffi iently s ftened t all andling s e ta es a palette nife and arefully deta es t e paint s in fr m t e underlying fabri e demands t at t is pr ess ma es n t e artist -- ne t at re uires er full n entrati n manual de terity s ill and patien e -- finds parallels in t e traditi nal andmade pr esses re uired t ma e la e upta allenges t e ist ri al n ti n f men s r as raft a n ledging t e reative impulses t at generated t e inn vative te ni ues mple patterns and deli ate beauty f la e are a in t t se f painting n in rp rating la e as a material in er r upta s pen an l e series see s t llapse t e usual ierar ies f art and raft
e imprints als layer int t e mple surfa es f upta s urrent abstra ti ns several p ints related t t e t eme f traditi n and ntemp raneity ng ass iated it elebrat ry asi ns su as eddings and ristenings la e nn tes family traditi ns and eirl m value ever t ese traditi nal fl ral m tifs and intri ate patterns lend t eir narrative p ssibilities t ntemp rary painting pening up t e language f abstra ti n t en mpass ideas bey nd mere l ur and f rm
O
en and Close subverts t e initial intenti n f inimalism in t e 1 5 s and 1 s t free painting fr m all narrative meaning nstead upta s paintings are enri ed by t e meanings reated in dial gue it la e nstead upta s paintings are enri ed by t e meanings reated in dial gue it la e e tra es f fl ral m tifs and netli e patterns n t e paint surfa e re all t e una n ledged individuals a r ss ist ry se ingenuity pr du ed su mple designs ranging fr m fl rals t figures ese imprints als ma e visible t e net r s f n ledge t at spanned b rders and time and all ed la e t ev lve fr m a simple ad rnment t a gl bal fabri f ntemp rary design and fas i n
e t eme f traditi n mig t als be e tended t t e pr du ti n f la e ef re ma ine-made la e be ame available t e rafting f t is fabri ad al ays been t e d main f men a ur pean traditi n t at as passed n t mmunities f men in t e l nies by missi naries n ndia f r e ample men artisans in arsapur in Andr a rades ntinue t ma e la e t e ay ut missi naries ad taug t t eir female an est rs in nvents and s ls ever t e ist ri al e pl itati n f t is female lab ur by middlemen pr fited fr m t e trade in andmade la e mbined it ultural fa t rs t at eep ndian men in a sub rdinate status t t eir male unterparts as left t ese mmunities in a d n ard spiral f p verty r upta is a str ng adv ate f r t e emp erment f men t e ntinued nne ti ns f la e it female lab ur is an imp rtant detail t eave int er urrent r s
l ur as al ays played an imp rtant r le in upta s r sele ting l blues and greys t ev e t e industrial buildings surr unding er studi in t e series Edges and Residues and e perimenting it playful mbinati ns f blue red and yell stripes and brig t s lid l urs su as pin green and range t mimi t e ide variety f tarpaulin available in t e mar et in er L C C series r O en and Close er l urs are based n t e varieties f la e material s ld in s ps and by ass iati n t e vari us l urs f men s lingerie Subverting t e traditi nal ass iati ns f purity and virtue t at made ite la e a p pular i e f r sa ramental elebrati ns t e use f la e fabri espe ially in b ld l urs li e bla and red in men s lingerie str ngly nn tes desirability and female se uality but als refle ts t e e treme p liti isati n f t is te tile as a symb l f t e male ga e and t e er ti ising f t e female b dy e pen r patterns and t in see-t r ug netting f la e partly ver but als partly reveal t e s in all ing t e fabri t be me an ad rnment f t e female f rm upta s s ins f paint be me repla ements f r t e uman b dy emp asising t e beautiful patterns f t e la e fabri t at ave made it an b e t f desire and fetis
Arranged in a l urful array in t e gallery upta s paintings suggest t e vari us female em ti nal registers t at la e lingerie an signal fr m inn en e and purity delig t and surprise passi n and p er
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n upta s O en and Close series t e narrative p tential f te tile pens t e language f abstra ti n t ne n eptual e pl rati ns e meanings emb died by t e la y patterns are layered int t e material f paint and enri ur appre iati n f t ese ntemp rary paintings ut beneat all t ese n eptual e pl rati ns at t ese paintings reveal at t e m st fundamental level is a sense f beauty evident in t e arm ni us blend f l urs t e play f lig t and s ad n t e ra ed surfa e and t e ta tile edges t at give ea painting f rm nstead f flatness e en unter r s it te ture and dimensi n t eir imperfe ti ns resulting fr m t e artist s and en su aest eti ualities are ven it narratives t at res nate it ntemp rary n erns and lived e perien e e begin t understand paintings mig t still ave t e p er t m ve us As art ist rian ny dfrey e plains ainting remains an imp rtant pr ess t r ug i e nsider ever indire tly e bel ng in t is rld at e as individuals and mmunities are and at beauty is and uld be n t e ase f upta s pen and l se series per aps e need nly t be pen t t e en unter
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