Collection of sculptures on display | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The far-flung Art Haus gallery in Nungambakkam houses metal, wood and ceramic sculptures of all shapes, sizes and forms; 52 of them to be exact. Delicate human figures, wooden animals stitched with leather and cloth, ceramic plates, and even large monochrome blocks of clay, all occupy the space. Here, a cross section of India’s contemporary sculpture landscape comes alive. The show, titled AI 50, is an offshoot of AI 100, which focused on painting last year.

“The show invites the viewer to consider the interplay between form, content, and subject,” says curator Poornima Sivaram. The power of connection and communication is at the core of the collection, she says.

M Basavaraj Face 5 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The small gallery has it all — from forms and figures that capture the essence of the human experience to literal animal figures that demonstrate the technique of a medium that is difficult to master. It’s hard to miss the fusion of classical and modernist influences in senior artist Venkatachalapathi’s sinuous bronze sculpture titled Harmony.

While the forms themselves may seem abstract, their familiarity with the medium of bronze reflects the artist’s decades of experience with sculpture. S Kantha Reddy’s large, almost turquoise-coloured artwork Capacut, made in bronze, is hard to ignore. The artwork is slightly surreal, depicting the conflict between the pace of urban life and traditional values, much like his famous work, which depicts a haggard face pressed against protruding threads of molten metal. Face 5, a side profile of a large sculpture by M Basavaraj made of fibreglass, is another distinctive attempt to capture the natural world in all its mysteries.

Statue of Elanchezhiyan Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

G Subramaniam’s small sculpture of a girl playing the flute, titled Flute Player, is nothing short of a delight. The artist known for his collages began experimenting with sculptures in 2019. “I lost my daughter when she was nine years old. She would have turned 40 this May 19,” he says. The artist’s famous ‘Girl’ series is a tribute to his late daughter and her early memories. “Although I was very interested in bronze, my association with the Girl series continued throughout my collages as well,” says the artist, who finds solace in the ‘lost wax method’ in the case of sculptures. Shanta Samantha’s 2020 work titled Jumping shares a similar sensibility

There are also quirky, contemporary collectibles among the greats. Neelam Chauhan’s piece is reminiscent of Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream. Srinia Choudhary’s small paper clay ceramic work is a welcome explosion of colours, and invites us to consider the social conditioning imposed on toys from childhood.

Summarizing a cross section of India’s sculptural practice in a white cubic space, the diverse collection invites viewers to look beyond superficial aesthetics and dig deeper, culminating in Purnima.

AI 50 will be on display till May 30 at Art Haus Gallery, Nungambakkam. For details, call 7397745684