Arario Gallery Seoul to Host Subodh Gupta's Latest Solo Exhibition, "Inner Garden," from September 4 to October 12, 2024
Subodh Gupta, one of India's most prominent contemporary artists, returns to Korea for the first time in a decade with his new solo exhibition, Inner Garden, at Arario Gallery Seoul. Running from September 4 to October 12, 2024, this exhibition will feature 15 works, including paintings, sculptures, and installations spread across the gallery's three floors.
Inner Garden marks a significant milestone in Gupta’s career, following his last solo show at Arario Gallery Seoul in 2014. His work has consistently explored the intersection of traditional Indian culture and the forces of globalization, using everyday objects such as steel utensils, bicycles, and milk cans to comment on the dualities of modern life. These items, commonplace in Indian households, are elevated into monumental artistic statements that blur the lines between the sacred and the mundane.
The works featured in Inner Garden delve into themes of nature, spirituality, and resilience. The semi-abstract paintings in this series draw inspiration from natural forms, using dynamic shapes and bold compositions to evoke the restorative power of the natural world.
Gupta’s sculptures, meanwhile, reflect his fascination with transforming industrial materials—such as spoons, ladles, and stainless steel bowls—into organic shapes that mimic flowers and plants. These sculptures create a meditative space, where the contrast between the organic and the manufactured invites viewers to contemplate the harmony and tension between nature and human-made objects.
One of the standout works in the exhibition is Stupa (2024), an installation that transforms the gallery's basement into a sacred space. Modeled after the traditional chores of the Himalayan region, this sculpture is made from plaster embedded with household utensils, evoking the passage of time and the spirituality found in everyday objects. The stupa is a metaphorical reliquary for life’s experiences, capturing the intersection of the spiritual and material worlds.
Gupta's Proust Mapping series, also part of this exhibition, takes its name from the concept of the "Proust Effect," where sensory stimuli trigger deep memories. Using utensils as symbols of everyday life, Gupta arranges these objects on flat surfaces to explore how seemingly mundane items can evoke personal and cultural memories. This series draws a direct connection between domestic labor and the broader structures of industrial production, offering a reflection on the interconnectedness of society and individual experience.
Born in 1964 in Khagaul, India, a region deeply rooted in Buddhism, Gupta has exhibited his work internationally, with solo shows at prestigious venues such as the Monnaie de Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. His works are included in the collections of renowned institutions like the Tate in the UK, the Guggenheim Museum in the USA, and the Centre Pompidou in France. Over the years, Gupta’s art has become synonymous with a deep engagement with the social and cultural realities of India, making him a significant figure in the global art scene.
Inner Garden is expected to offer Korean audiences a unique opportunity to experience Gupta’s latest reflections on nature, spirituality, and the complexities of modern life. As he transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary expressions of resilience and beauty, Gupta challenges viewers to reconsider the boundaries of art, memory, and everyday existence.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
