Challenging Perceptions: My Experience at the Yogesh Ramkrishnan's Solo Exhibition

On Friday 31st Jan, I decided to go and see  the debut exhibition of Yogesh Ramkrishnan's artwork, curated by Satyajit Dave, at Latitude 28. This exhibition is part of the India Art Fair's parallel exhibitions at the vibrant Lado Sarai Art Night, where four galleries on Art Street launched their shows together.

I left the gallery feeling like a quiet soul, just processing the stylized  artworks. Let me walk you through my experiences.  I was particularly amazed at a painting which was part of a set of three, admiring the artist’s attention to detail and choice of colors. We all questioned the quirkiness,  were confused by his art s as we sipped mulled wine. I was puzzled by his art and wondered.

"Where  would you place these  art pieces?" and I'm still looking for the answer.

Details of artwork: THE THEATRE OF DISTRACTION

With very limited knowledge of the artist’s intentions, We wandered around and I personally found a few of them offensive, but that was before my friend managed to  spot Yogesh, the artist,  bombard him with questions.  After our conversation with him, our perspective changed. 

Yogesh shared that his artwork is inspired by Marathi theatre and by his childhood experiences. One thing I must mention is that he has an impeccable memory and a great vision for a better future. Yogesh's art challenges us to reconsider the narratives we've inherited, question our role in the world, and reimagine the truth. His art is intriguing, and it’s the kind of piece you should commission if you want to spark meaningful conversations.

My favourite piece  was the "Gentle Prop" series, which consisted of sketches of barricades with different functions. A thought that has been in my mind for quite some time is: 

What if our urban architecture was planned in a way that provided makeshift arrangements for homeless people on the streets? This particular sketch of a barricade was one possible answer.

However, after interacting with the artist, he explained that his thoughts behind the illustrations ask, "Why do we see barricades as objects of fear?"  his thoughts are beautifully captured in the poem below.

Honestly, I’m still looking for the answer to where such a piece should be placed on a wall where it is valued.

I’m curious to know your views. I’ve attached a link below for you to check out all his works.

The exhibition runs until March 20th, 2025.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FQvi3zRy7LzMlRzNIN6zmuDl2ArMWWCV/edit Link to more of his art woks.