"रक्तवाहिनी-१" by Kumar Misal

About the artwork

Drawing inspiration from the unwavering determination of ants, the artwork also features a representation of a farmer's wife. Just as ants tirelessly work together to build their colonies, the farmer's wife is portrayed as a pillar of strength, diligently managing the household and nurturing dreams for the future.Together, these elements paint a vivid portrait of rural life in India, highlighting the resilience and dedication of farmers and their families. The artwork's creation process further reinforces this connection with nature, utilizing paper crafted from sugarcane waste, meticulously hand-drawn with black ink, and colored using natural earth pigments.

About the artist

My working analogy is based on the Farmer's Life; since I myself belong to the farming community and have witnessed the struggle that a farmer has to make to survive and to support his family. Looking at the famers issue and struggle in the past decade and the current situation, I realize the insensitivity of the society as well as the mindset that keeps the discriminations active, proving it to be harmful and a future which might loose the practice, knowledge and economy of the farming profession. My practice/journey is like an autobiography and I find myself responsible to react through my art as an artist to all these never-ending inhibitions.

I am born and brought up in the Kumbhoj region of Kolhapur District; where Sugarcane, corn and bananas are widely produced with favourable climate. My background is very much part of my work process and has a great inspiration behind its representation. Coming from a farming family, I prefer the process first and then its result, as I have witnessed the practice of agriculture: before eating food the grain needs to be sowed and nourished; similarly, I make the paper / surface for the print from the fibers of banana, corn and sugar extract and then create the image on the surface.

My practice is currently based using papermaking and printmaking process along with research and experimentation with material and content. I use specifically the woodcut medium for expressing the political, social, and environmental or the psychological effects we had and continuingly facing as a farmer's families. The migration and displacement of the community for many a reason - leads them to live a life in an urban sector just for survival - changes the whole eco system. We have been noticing the loss of the practice and its identity to be largely compromised.

While producing, many a times I am satisfied with the fact that the paper and the story I narrate are made from natural agricultural fertilizer and waste, Most of the time I take help from the community who are still believing in their practice and the process trying to keep the practice alive and sustainable. This process of interaction and many a times collaboration which keeps me connected to the roots and also helps me tell the story across like a sutradhar.