Sheela Gowda: Therein & Besides

About

Bangalore based artist Sheela Gowda presents her first solo exhibition in the UK at Rivington Place, including a new commission. Gowda is known for creating large-scale sculptural installations which take everyday materials as the starting point and for works that combine abstract forms with references to society. The new work, of all people (2011), is made up of thousands of wooden chips, roughly carved by craftsmen into votive objects. They form part of a composition of larger frames and doors painted emerald green, peppermint, pink and off-white which also reveal the marks of weathering and infestation by insects. Moving through this environment, the viewer is invited to recalibrate their experience of the work from a number of different heights and perspectives. Collateral (2007) was made by rolling, arranging and burning incense on mesh frames to produce intricate patterns. This sculpture of ash has a fragmented and broken appearance which suggests a landscape ravaged by war. For this exhibition, the artist explores a new set of materials to produce a sculptural work for the large gallery space overlooking Rivington Street. While Gowda has participated in many curated group exhibitions, this individual appraisal is an opportunity for the artist to appear on her own terms.