Through his solo exhibition, Growing Wild, artist Rajesh Ram depicts the loss of nature as he feels urbanisation has taken over

The life-size bronze sculptures and oil paintings by artist Rajesh Ram at the Palette Art Gallery might grab your attention instantly. His solo exhibition, Growing Wild, explores and confronts the interactions between nature and human culture.

Says the artist, “Nature and human culture have inspired me in their own ways. My works were related to Panchatantra and my wife has been into urban farming. This gave me the opportunity to connect closely with nature. I also have a family background of farmers. So this is automatically reflected in my works.”

Humans have often defined themselves in relation to each other. Through his work, Rajesh draws his boyhood memories of village life, intertwined with the moral teachings. He also explores the binaries of human and animal, rural and urban contexts. “I draw a lot from my experiences in Jharkhand, which has traditionally lived close to nature. Over time, nature has lost its beauty and urbanisation has taken over. The concrete building have replaced the beauty of trees and mountains and plants are nowadays merely a showpiece,” says Ramesh.

At the heart of Ramesh’s work is the man who is hopeful. Talking about the title of the exhibition, Rakesh says, “Nature has been my inspiration for this exhibition. Growth and development are part of life. It is the character of nature to grow in its own way. The title is inspired by this.”

The medium used in his work is bronze, which has continued to co-exist with nature since long and proven to have had a long-lasting effect on the same. His work addresses the contradictions of growth and of favouring one species over the rest. The work also speaks of the loss of nature, the contested space of individual and the cost of human progress. The three accompanying paintings appear to demonstrate man-animal harmony where the laws of the jungle prescribe the rules of society. They also suggest a desire for balance within and between ecosystems.

(The exhibition is on view till February 12.)