Which female artist doesn’t dream of a solo at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York? From March to September 2018, Bengaluru-based artist Ranjani Shettar had a solo there, titled Seven Ponds And A Few Raindrops, for which she molded stainless steel into a series of suspended sensual, amoebic, shapeshifting elements covered in tamarind-stained muslin. “The space given to me at the Met was large but with a ceiling that was not too high, a challenge that I had to overcome in a manner that would be convincing to me,” said Shettar when asked about her takeaway from the installation experience. “I had to make sure the boundaries of the space blurred, and my pieces floated without being boxed in by the character of the space. Yet, the artwork had to look gentle, effortless and natural in the way it finds its balance and has an interplay within the piece.” Overlapping between March and August 2018 at Talwar Gallery’s New York outpost was Shettar’s solo, On And On It Goes On, featuring artworks in wood, a medium she loves. “Here I allowed myself to be playful with the ideas I was putting out. As the physical process of creating in wood is drawn out over a period, it is vital for me to maintain the wider perspective while gradually chipping away and working on the details and retaining the buoyancy, fluidity and playfulness of the sculptures,” says Shettar, who doesn’t foresee any break in her immediate future. She’s now working towards a solo exhibition in the summer of 2019 at The Phillips Collection. “It is a beautiful and charming museum in Washington, DC and in fact was the first modern art museum in America. The galleries for my exhibition are in the old part of the museum with a lot of architectural character. I am excited not only to engage with the museum’s space but also its wonderful collection.”
-Rosalyn D'Mello