The exhibition that opens this week marks the first-ever showcase of the artist’s woven paintings in Mumbai, after a display in Kolkata. Raja, who was born in Kolkata, lived and worked between New York and the West Bengal capital. He straddled multiple worlds, and his practice is greatly influenced by his upbringing in a family that is involved in textile design and weaving — a craft that demands control, much like painting. His family also owns Kanishka’s, an iconic saree store in south Kolkata. “But the link to the store is incidental; the show primarily explores control. Raja was looking at how the weavers would translate his instructions into their weaving — a closer inspection of the paintings reveal his pencil marks — and how he could challenge the whole process of painting against that of weaving, and what slippages would take place,” Prateek notes.

Control 7, 2015, hand-woven double weft cotton thread

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Characterised by a multitude of lines and borders, the woven paintings, and their drawings, reflect the influence of the grid — an integral aspect of weaving. They also betray his interest in sports, and how rules govern lines in matches. “As a South Asian artist, growing up in the 1970s and ’80s, these are also lines of control — political lines, and lines that define your nationality and ideas of identity. He would constantly challenge these identities,” the co-founder reveals. The artworks also display the use of a lot of colour, as a means of subverting the West’s disdain for the use of colour.

Prateek Raja 

The gallery decided to bring Raja’s works to Mumbai to open up a discussion on his practice. “It’s a process-oriented practice that people might not be familiar with, so we’re looking forward to the show,” the gallerist signs off.

FROM March 9 to May 13; preview night March 9, 5 pm to 9 pm 
AT Experimenter Colaba, First Floor, Sunny House, Colaba.
LOG ON TO @experimenterkol