The word ‘mawnon’ comes up several times in conversation with artist Narayan Sinha. A rather tricky word to define. Is it the landscape of your mind? Or the consciousness? Is it the subconscious which filters in through the pores of the conscious? Or, perhaps your aesthetics of life? Complex, intense, thought-provoking and open to multiple interpretations. Nayaran doesn’t articulate it. Firelight does. An overwhelming experience spread across 45,000sq ft in the heart of Ballygunge. Deeply personal and moving, once you can get past the enormity of it all that can almost devour you, you will pause. And, think.
Narayan Sinha
The stunning installation depicts a erect spine made of engine parts, one that will help you soar, like a butterfly. The wings made of Ambassador side windows.
When you get off in front of that unassuming blue gate that is 12 Queens Park and saunter in past a couple of sleeping dogs, you have no idea what’s waiting for your inside. A dilapidated 130-year-old sprawling house abuzz with life with Narayan’s dream project.
He has mounted a plethora of emotions, never opinions, on brass, iron, glass, rubber, bronze casting, stone, acrylic, watercolour and wood. They stand tall. Lie listless. Hang with wings to fly. Living. Breathing. Stories told between six inches and 18ft. Painfully raw, but deeply engaging. A fistful of memories, some wounding but eventually liberating. When you actually wait for 10 years to lay yourself bare, you pretty much have nothing to lose. The smile on Narayan’s face is of tranquillity. “Aamar bhetorer manush ta ke keu dekheni and dekhte chaini. People kept asking why the show. Aamar kachhey ei jaiga ta khub koshter chhilo. But, I feel alive. I have done it with a lot of earnestness. This is my gift to myself. If my close ones get it, that’ll be the greatest gift. I have loved accepting myself and try not to have expectations,” says Narayan, in between giving us a tour of the vast showing.
Narayan’s interpretation of the masks we all wear, rendering our true selves elusive to the world
Narayan’s version of spring blooms, made of bhopu horns
A “goddess form” made of silencer pipes, which emits smoke. This is Narayan’s interpration of the unaddressed issues, spiralling out of control, keeping us away from the altar of godly bliss.
Firelight is like an avalanche of emotions. You will meet your darkest face and also the spirit that wants to rise above it. You will see yourself in Narayan. The gnawing insecurity. The call of restless boundlessness. Which is why Narayan calls it a “collective journey”. “Firelight is the struggle between life and death. What is constant are your values and education, generosity, humanity and your ability to extract positivity out of a negative situation,” he says. At one point, this realisation of his dreams may have seemed impossible, but here he is, breaking down his inner barriers, evolving and encouraging you to do the same. “This was commercially challenging. Amphan destroyed some pieces. Then Covid happened... the dialogue was evolving though. In December, I made up my mind to tell my untold story,” he says. Two-and-half months of hardly any sleep and no family time with daughter later, Narayan is ready to welcome guests to his wonderland.
The arresting blooms that climb up the stairs
Stone carvings that capture a weary spirit and the constant striving for a centre
The roots that will rip through your ego. “Look for balance and joy,” says Narayan.
Nature is a strong narrative in Firelight, complemented brilliantly by the organic force that hugs 12 Queens Park. “Moner prokriti is also as important as Mother Nature,” says Narayan. So, set it free, he says. There will be shadows, but you will finally emerge with acceptance. “I will not keep anything unaddressed,” he says.
Memories heaped in a corner like fallen leaves. Water flowing like tears. Barbed wires twisted into submission, taking away their power to wound and divide. Mutilated metal parts united in glorious protest. The hypocrisy that surrounds sexuality. Masks uncovering the ‘you’. The bloom and the torment. The dance of free will. Firelight is like a mirror that reflects only peace, after the war. “My outlook is changing. My selfishness, my doinota... it’s changing. I cannot cage myself any more. Aami khub bhalo beche aachhi,” smiles Narayan.
Firelight will keep burning in your ‘mawnon’, one that doesn’t and will not let the sleeping dogs lie.
What: Firelight, Narayan Sinha’s solo exhibition
Where: 12 Queens Park, beside Birla Mandir
Starts on: March 16, 5pm-9pm (on for three months)
