Dark and light (From left to right) ‘Eye in the Sky’; Khambatta in his studio; ‘Metamorphosis’
Arzan Khambatta has what he calls “fidgety hands”. For as long as he can remember, the renowned sculptor has doodled on notebooks and textbooks, right from his school days to even while attending phone calls. In 2011, when his mother fell ill and was in hospital, Khambatta would spend hours sketching pen-and-ink drawings as he and his siblings took turns to stay with her. All these years later, approximately 80 of his drawings are on display at Gallery Art & Soul in Mumbai as part of Khambatta’s first such exhibition titled Suspended Animation.
Arzan Khambatta in his studio
Tightly composed, yet expansive, the lines on paper emerge from somewhere deep within, almost “like auto-writing”, feels Khambatta. “Till the pen touches the paper, I am blank about how I am going to start. That’s what makes the journey interesting for me. I just go with the flow,” he says, adding that it is about what he felt within that poured out on paper. “They are a reflection of what is going on within me. It is like mapping the mind and what it is subconsciously thinking,” he says.
The compositions themselves range from architecturally structured to organically fluid. Together, they form a lyrical quality which matches the wild poetry of the Pink Floyd song, ‘Learning to Fly’, from which the title has been taken. There are splashes of bright blues and pinks on the mostly monochromatic drawings, adding another dimension to the canvas. Some of them have been burnt and have a reflective surface at the back, so when one is viewing it, they can also see a reflection of themselves within the drawings. The artist has used pens with different thickness to add yet another layer to the works. There are parts that are dark and bold, and some that you have to go close to notice.
‘Eye in the Sky’
‘Metamorphosis’
Being a sculptor, Khambatta has applied all that he learnt about composition to these works. “In a way, these drawings are the 2D expressions of my 3D work,” he says. However, the process of making these drawings is in complete contrast to his sculptures—another reason he enjoys doing them so much. “With my sculptures, I have to pre-plan, give the sketch to the client and get approval,” he says. The noise and heat generated from the grinders and welding machines adds to the intensity of the process. When it comes to his drawings, however, he can just immerse himself in a peaceful state, put on some music and draw whatever comes to his mind. “This contrast fascinates me,” he shares.
Needless to say, it was Pink Floyd that he listened to a lot during the process. “They are the gods of music for me and I find so much meaning in their lyrics. The line from their song ‘Learning to Fly’—‘There’s no sensation to compare with this suspended animation, a state of bliss’—resonates with me each time I do something which brings me joy. Working on these drawings was like being in a state of bliss and time seemed to be suspended. The words fit in beautifully with these works,” he adds.
Source: India Today
