Can art foretell the future of humanity?
Live MintIn artist Avishek Sen’s work, humans, animals and vegetation are often fused by a unique alchemy. “I find his work incredibly prescient, especially for these strange times,” says Projjal Dutta of Aicon Contemporary, the New York-based gallery where Sen’s latest solo is on display. “This juxtaposition of people, plants and animals feels uncannily like a metaphor of what’s going on today, when viruses are jumping species and causing havoc.” Sen, who was supposed to be in New York for his big solo show, is stuck at home in Delhi. “As a boy, I would traipse around the countryside, catch birds, watch the farmers till the land.” Sen’s father was a teacher of biology and the family wanted him to be a doctor. “For the first time, I not only had my independent living quarters and studio but also access to the masterpieces I had only seen in books.” That frisson of discovery, the primal joy of creating a new piece of art, is still resonant in Sen’s work.
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