Mrinalini Mukherjee's latest exhibition at the Royal Academy in London has left this reviewer underwhelmed. The show brings together a range of works by the Indian artist, including her iconic sculptures and watercolours. However, it is the sculptures that prove to be the real highlight of the exhibition.
Mukherjee's use of tightly woven natural fibres creates a hallucinatory yet sharply observed response to nature. Her work is full of echoes of the Indian landscape and, in this case, India's skies. If a bird can become an ogre in her fantastic imagination, a flower can grow into a fat, sprawling, bloodied excrescence and a tree transmute into gold.
But what really sets Mukherjee apart is her ability to draw deeply on her culture but transcend the local. Her art is international, not local. Given her rise to brilliance in the 80s, it's tempting to see her as a magic realist. She mingles modern India's history with surrealism, dreams and fantastical images of an intense national landscape.
Unfortunately, Mukherjee's art is consistently undermined by the mediocre works that surround it. The exhibition tries to give her some company from lesser artists, but it feels like they're trying too hard. The result is a gallery space that's more chaos than cohesion.
One particular sculpture, Adi Pushp II, stood out for its grossly shaped, triffidian plant that blossoms with erotic suggestiveness. It's consciously, smartly rooted in India's religions and art and leaves all the other artists in the deep shade it casts.
The show's curatorial decisions are puzzling. Why include watercolours by Mukherjee's "circle" when her own sculptures are the real stars? The result is a show that feels like it's trying to put on a good face rather than showcasing some truly remarkable art.
Despite this, Mukherjee's art remains as meaningful and accessible today as it was in her lifetime. It's a testament to her genius that she can evoke statues of seated Buddhas and sages with contradictions both spiritually calm and sensually violent. She transcends the local and speaks to something universal.
In short, Mrinalini Mukherjee's exhibition at the Royal Academy is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art. It's a shame that the surrounding mediocrity lets down what could have been a truly outstanding show.
Mukherjee's use of tightly woven natural fibres creates a hallucinatory yet sharply observed response to nature. Her work is full of echoes of the Indian landscape and, in this case, India's skies. If a bird can become an ogre in her fantastic imagination, a flower can grow into a fat, sprawling, bloodied excrescence and a tree transmute into gold.
But what really sets Mukherjee apart is her ability to draw deeply on her culture but transcend the local. Her art is international, not local. Given her rise to brilliance in the 80s, it's tempting to see her as a magic realist. She mingles modern India's history with surrealism, dreams and fantastical images of an intense national landscape.
Unfortunately, Mukherjee's art is consistently undermined by the mediocre works that surround it. The exhibition tries to give her some company from lesser artists, but it feels like they're trying too hard. The result is a gallery space that's more chaos than cohesion.
One particular sculpture, Adi Pushp II, stood out for its grossly shaped, triffidian plant that blossoms with erotic suggestiveness. It's consciously, smartly rooted in India's religions and art and leaves all the other artists in the deep shade it casts.
The show's curatorial decisions are puzzling. Why include watercolours by Mukherjee's "circle" when her own sculptures are the real stars? The result is a show that feels like it's trying to put on a good face rather than showcasing some truly remarkable art.
Despite this, Mukherjee's art remains as meaningful and accessible today as it was in her lifetime. It's a testament to her genius that she can evoke statues of seated Buddhas and sages with contradictions both spiritually calm and sensually violent. She transcends the local and speaks to something universal.
In short, Mrinalini Mukherjee's exhibition at the Royal Academy is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art. It's a shame that the surrounding mediocrity lets down what could have been a truly outstanding show.
. On one hand, I love how Mrinalini Mukherjee brings this whole new level of depth to her art - the way she weaves together Indian culture and surrealism is just pure magic 
. Her sculptures are like nothing you've ever seen before, it's like she's transported you straight into the heart of India 
.
. It feels like they're trying too hard to be "Indian" and end up coming across as shallow and uninspired. And don't even get me started on the curatorial decisions - like, why include those watercolours when we know Mukherjee's sculptures are where it's at? 
. So yeah, I'd defo say this exhibition is a must-see for anyone into contemporary art - just don't expect too much from the surrounding works 
.
, but the rest of the exhibition is just a bunch of filler 
. who thought it was a good idea to pair her masterpieces with some mediocre artists? 
, who needs those when you have sculptures that can transport you to another world 
? anyway, if you're an art enthusiast or just want to see some amazing pieces, then yeah, this show is worth checking out 
.
Interesting that the reviewer felt the surrounding mediocre works dragged down the exhibition, but still managed to praise Mukherjee's ability to transcend her culture and create something universal 
The Adi Pushp II sculpture sounds like a real showstopper, love how it's "smartly rooted in India's religions and art" 
, but you know what I loved? Adi Pushp II - that sculpture was straight fire 
It's like she took all these different things from Indian culture and just mashed them together into something totally unique. And yeah, the other art in the show was pretty meh 
!
. It's impressive how she can make you see things in a different light, but at the same time, it's frustrating when the rest of the show doesn't quite match her level 
. As an artsy person, I was expecting so much more from this showcase of Mrinalini Mukherjee's work. The problem is that it gets lost in a sea of mediocre art pieces that can't hold a candle to her genius 
. I mean, where are the bold statements? The daring pieces that make you question everything? Alas, most of them just feel like filler 
.
. And that one sculpture, Adi Pushp II? WOW 
. It's like she's tapping into this deep well of Indian history and spirituality, but still manages to make it feel universally relatable.