Beyond the ordinary: Young artists turn lens on a changing world

Chandigarh: Walk in with a bit of caution — you won't find anything average here. The annual exhibition at Govt College of Art, Sector 10, Chandigarh, this year is anything but routine. From finely crafted terracotta, wood and stone sculptures to evocative oil paintings and intricate printmaking techniques like lithography and etching, bachelor of fine arts (BFA) and master of fine arts (MFA) students have pushed both skill and storytelling to striking heights. The expo, which opened on April 17, has been extended till April 25.The Sound of HomeEntering the main hall, one is greeted by a hut-like installation at the entrance. Its outer walls are layered with student prints, while the interiors invite a more intimate engagement. The visitors and exhibitors are encouraged to pen down responses to a simple yet profound question: "What is home to you?" Inside, a soft, immersive soundscape — composed from recorded audio snippets of students' homes — plays in the background. Across the exhibition, a recurring thread emerges with young artists grappling with the anxieties of a rapidly changing world. Themes of urbanisation, shrinking living spaces, water scarcity, and soaring real estate prices surface repeatedly, each interpreted through a distinct artistic voice. Soaring Prices, Sinking HopesBalwant, an MFA first-year student, captures this shift through an installation featuring a hut at its base, with clouds suspended above and houses perched atop them. Crafted from fibre and cardboard in over 15 days, the work reflects a growing disconnect between aspiration and reality. "Earlier, we had large homes with open spaces to play. Now those spaces are shrinking, replaced by towering buildings with prices soaring beyond reach," he explains. His accompanying painting, "Bhavishya mein hum kahan jayenge?", questions where the middle class will find space in this future.Deer as a Metaphor for Collapse A powerful visual narrative unfolds in the works of Ajay, an MFA second-year student, who uses the recurring motif of deer to comment on ecological distress. In one canvas, three deer images emerge from a dreamlike green landscape, disrupted by a harsh diagonal of black-and-yellow caution tape, a reminder of human intrusion. Another piece turns darker, depicting lifeless deer on a scorched forest floor, its burnt palette evoking the aftermath of environmental collapse. A third painting places the animals amidst geometric, urban forms, suggesting their gradual erasure in the face of expanding cities. Art Born of Scarcity Water scarcity finds a poignant expression in the sculptures of Aarti Devi, an MFA student drawing from her experience of a slum area. One sculpture depicts a figure burdened with buckets, symbolising how the search for water dominates everyday thought. Another features eyes fixed on water, waiting its arrival. A third work reflects the essential and intricate relationship between humans and water, underscoring its fundamental role in survival.Sustainability at centre stage Sustainability, too, takes centre stage in the exhibition's ‘best-out-of-waste' creations. A sculpture fashioned from discarded pencil shavings transforms a simple object into a flowing form, while another uses broken bangles and LED lights to create an apple titled ‘Inner and outer look'. The piece delves into human psychology—presenting a polished exterior that conceals inner turmoil. Kritika Singla's functional lamp made from a bicycle wheel stands out for its practicality. "I wanted to create something useful from waste—something anyone can make and use in daily life," she says. A horse sculpture crafted from coconut shells further reinforces the creative possibilities of repurposed materials. ‘Silent Endurance' At the heart of the exhibition stands a hyper-realistic silicone sculpture titled ‘Silent Endurance' by Raj Benipal, a master's student specialising in portraiture. The lifelike figure of an elderly woman, complete with detailed skin textures and traditional jewellery, draws viewers in. Inspired by his travel to South India and a fascination with its cultural aesthetics, Benipal describes the work as an attempt to push his skill "to the absolute limit". Spiritual introspection also finds space within the exhibition. Prerna, an MFA first-year student, presents an etching series based on the Dasavatar. Progressing from the ‘Matsya Avatar' to an empty circle representing the yet-to-come Kalki, the work features a convex mirror at its centre—inviting viewers to see themselves within the divine. "Our body itself is a temple. We don't need to search for God outside," she reflects. Short films, big talentA 15-minute short film, Tasveer, conceptualised by associate professor Jogender Pal Singh and directed by MFA student Shivam Gulati, will be screened till April 25 in five slots — 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. The film is a quiet, emotional exploration of memory, loss and the meaning behind a single photograph, following a young boy on a deeply personal journey that reshapes his connection to the past.
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