If there is one word that describes Ranjani Shettar’s installations and sculptures, it is “happy." There is something bubbly, fun, and enthusiastic about her work, and it is infectious. Shettar herself laughingly says, “Someone remarked quite early in my working days as to why my works looked happy and not otherwise.” This happiness, however, does not interfere with the work’s ability to provoke thought. The narrative of her recent show, “Bubble trap and a double bow,” concerned nature. Nature surrounds us; it is omnipresent but never seen or understood, simply taken for granted. Shettar says, “Nature is really very smart. The way it works around the strength of the tree is amazing. Take the case of a tree which bears little seeds. Usually, the seeds fall at the feet of the tree to germinate, while those which produce seeds in abundance scatter them in all directions. This little play in preservation inspires me in my works. Open wings of a precious secret takes off from this.”
-Chitra Balasubramaniam