We are separated by politics, history and privilege, and the ground upon which we walk is uneven; yet we are bound by a common humanity and a codependent future. Common Ground is a metaphorical and literal exploration of this ground upon which we meet.
The art at Common Ground, expressed in the language of clay, illuminates the underlying web that ties together these multiplicities. It seeks to create a dialogue between our varied pasts and presents, between materials and methodology, and technology and tradition. It exemplifies the idea that we are all, every one of us, a keeper of the Earth.
Re-Presented From The Traces, 2022-2023
Terracotta | Variable
The project documents the lives of brick kiln workers in the city of Mirzapur, about sixty percent of whom are lower caste migrant seasonal workers. As migrant labour they work long hours and suffer malnutrition. Most brick kiln workers suffer broken ribs from the hard work. Children do not go to school. The season extends from November to June, after which their temporary homes are demolished. Over the years Birender Kumar Yadav has relayed their plight through media such as sculpture, photography, and installation.
In Re-Presented From The Traces, the artist has made casts of ordinary artifacts left behind after demolition, reframing them as sculptures. Through small gestures and everyday objects, his work carries a large emotional registry, yet he remains conscious of the gap between the objects and the lived experiences of the workers; conscious that the object’s emotional value lies in an original that no longer exists.
PRESS :
Hansika Lohani | “Indian Ceramics Triennale” | Platform-mag | 15th Jan, 2024