Light beyond darkness

Srishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, is currently hosting the evocative art exhibition ‘Bloody Dark Body’ by Singapore-based artist Mahalakshmi Kannappan, showcasing her profound explorations in charcoal.

Mahalakshmi’s work employs charcoal, black lime plaster, and wood to create layered textures that capture the delicate balance between stability and change, presence and absence, and the continuous cycles of growth and renewal. Her pieces often evoke black landscapes with smooth planes, intricate surface textures, and rugged crevices. Using a meticulous process of grinding charcoal into powder and blending it with glue, she creates works that reflect life’s unpredictability, irregularity, and layered complexity.

The contrasts in her work—smooth expanses against rough fissures—embody transformation and impermanence. The exhibition’s design, orchestrated by architect Sona Reddy, enhances the play of light and shadow, bringing a dynamic depth to the viewing experience.

Mahalakshmi, who holds a Diploma in Fine Arts from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, and a Bachelor’s in Visual Communication from Bharathiyar University, India, draws inspiration from nature and everyday objects, transforming them into compelling shapes, forms, and textures. Black, in her work, has emerged as a language of memory, time, and transformation, with its dark tones suggesting both depth and permanence.

Bose Krishnamachari, founder of the Kochi Biennale, praised the works, writing the exhibition’s curatorial note and noting their striking impact. As the exhibition beautifully demonstrates, “Beyond darkness, there is light,” with the forms offering a sense of life and hope beyond their dark, mysterious surfaces.

‘Bloody Dark Body’ is open to the public until 30th November at Srishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.