Trace (Experimenter, Ballygunge Place), Chanakya School’s debut solo exhibition in India, unfolded treated cloth as a carrier of gesture and lived experience. Each woven surface reflected the process behind it, with layers of stitch and texture revealing how the artworks were made. The exhibition built its meaning gradually, asking viewers to look closely and move slowly.
The most imposing of the works was Dwelling (picture) — three towering red forms arranged in a circle, like bodies leaning inward, towards one another, suspended in a shared moment. Strands of thread spilt from these structures and spread across the floor, creating a tactile foundation that felt both grounded and unsettled. Inspired by the bhunga houses of Kutch, the installation evoked gathering and shelter. Yet the forms carried a faint unease, their presence watchful, their proximity intimate.
Across the other rooms of the gallery, texture shaped the exhibition’s rhythm. Opening Sky hung with quiet authority, its layered threads forming ridges and valleys that shifted with movement. The eye travels across the surface, then returns to small gestures embedded in the weave. Nearby, Field Notes offered quieter reflections, resembling maps, fragments, or organs. One piece resembled a human heart, pulsing in red thread. Interpretation remains open, guided by intuition rather than instruction.
Material relationships deepened this sense of continuuum. Black stone sculptures wrapped with cotton thread introduced tension between hardness and softness. The thread seemed to hold the forms together, creating a visual metaphor for connection and continuity. In Flowers in the Night, shuttle wrapping, historically treated as
preparatory labour done by women, gains visibility. Uneven wraps and visible joins
remain intact. The surfaces feel tactile and intimate.
Text appears lightly across the gallery walls: “I listen to my hands. Together, we become…” These sentences echo the exhibition’s pace, foregrounding process and shared making. Authorship rests with the collective, each contributor leaving a trace within layered surfaces.