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This unique collection of vividly painted and playfully imagined tribal masks is inspired by Anu Malhotra’s intense engagement with the sacred geography of tribal societies in India and abroad. The significance of these carved and painted wooden masks comes from the evocation of their rootedness in the traditional and their re-mooring in the contemporary. Tribal masks have inspired many contemporary artists including masters like Pablo Picasso and Andre Derain. The bold abstract designs of African tribal masks greatly influenced their work as painters.
Anu Malhotra’s masks are cast as being Neo Tribal in style. The vivid colours and the abstract, whimsical embellishments speak of the latent exuberance and vivacity of the human soul – an exuberance that best finds free expression when we are masked. The asymmetry between the left and the right side of each face symbolizes the reconciling of inherent contradictions and discrete urges within the human psyche. These masks are as much a comment on the human condition as they are stylish works of art.
Tribal masks are traditionally part of ceremonial costumes which are used at religious and community events to represent the spirits of ancestors or to symbolize the forces of good and evil. AM Art seeks to actively focus on the mainstreaming of indigenous art forms. Each art form is associated with stories that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Each story holds within itself a drop of distilled intuitive wisdom. It is important to keep this art and this wisdom alive as a bequest and legacy for coming generations.
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