Art Konsult, New Delhi, held two hybrid shows one after the other — Germination: Rare Graphics of Anupam Sud from 60s to 90s in October and Banoj Mohanty’s City Tales from November 27 to December 15. They were a study in contrasts — Sud’s graphics were, even in those early days of her brilliant career as a leading printmaker, sophisticated and spare both in form and colour, while being amazingly inventive, spurred by the theme of creation. Mohanty’s mixed-media works were, on the other hand, typical of a wide-eyed young man (born 1974) from Odisha who has moved to Delhi. While the crowds and colour on the streets maybe new to him, as an artist, he is not so overawed as to not keenly watch life go by.

Sud explores the themes of fertility, generation, birth and creativity right from the embryonic stage through a series of collographs and intaglios that are halfway between abstract and representational as they try to depict the mysterious process of conception (picture). Her exploration is through images highly suggestive of human limbs and female bodies, of the deep gash of the yoni, of sowing seeds in the dark brown richness of loam, and of sprouting, of bursting forth into the golden light of the day from the darkness of a mother’s womb and of epiphany. The brilliant colours she used vary from turquoise, cobalt blue, ochre, golden yellow, amber, dark brown and black, mauve and red either contrasting or complementing each other. They add a thrust to the theme of birthing and invention in rhythm, harmony and thematic development. Sud’s images give the impression of being botanical drawings celebrating the glories of nature.

Banoj Mohanty did his untitled works during the ongoing pandemic. Many of the passers-by he represents in them wear masks. He must have been observing them from his balcony for the figures have been foreshortened. They are collaged with slices of Delhi, revealing unlikely juxtapositions. His drawing needs improvement. Kainaat Fatima was the curator.