Texts: Ella Datta
“The moment one thinks of the word batik, clichéd images of traditional sculptures from Khajuraho, Konark or Natarajas or caparisoned elephants patiently worked on tacky cloth come to mind. Barnali Nandy has set about upending such conventional notions of batik imagery. She has not only brought to her batik repertoire a whole set of new images but has also combined batik with painting on board. She has been working with fabrics for the last five years.
Nandy is among the generation of artists who are raising questions about the nature of image, the nature of material, and the ways of seeing. They are bringing the banalities of the quotidian into the picture space or transforming them into objects. A still life need no longer be a collection of objects of value. It may well be a humble material from the kitchen basket. These artists are also engaging in a dialogue with customary notions of art practices. No longer is it necessary for paper, board or canvas to have a sanctity that cannot be devalued.”
(excerpt from the catalogue essay, The Fabric of Life, by Ella Datta)