Pune Biennale 2017: ‘Merawala Blue’ and Saaz Aggarwal’s quirky art

January 6, 2017

The Pune Biennale is all set to dazzle the city with its unique and interesting artwork very soon. This year, the theme, ‘Habit-Co-Habit’ is about the celebration of living with diverse people and elements in the city of Pune. The festival is spread across different locations within the city. Let Art Work, a gallery based in Baner, a show with a peculiar name, ‘Merawala Blue’ will take place on January 6. Saaz Aggarwal, a city-based author and painter, is one of the artists who is contributing to this show with her artwork, ‘Today’s Catch’. She speaks to Pune 365 about what the theme means and how it speaks through her artwork.

What does the theme ‘Merawala Blue’ mean?

The idea for the theme as well as the name is from Gauri Gandhi, who formed the Art Mandai group, and the group loved it. We have all taken up the colour blue and experimented with it, coming up with individual expressions and interpretations in shades of blue to be exhibited at one gallery, Let Art Work, at the Biennale.

How did you decide to artistically experiment with rocks?

I started working with roadside stones last year at Art Mandai. I was searching for a material that would be easy to display in a small basket, that would be inexpensive and with which each piece would be unique. I suppose I picked up the first lot of stones because they are everywhere around us and everyone has access to them. I scrubbed them clean and picked one up and sat looking at it, wondering what to paint. Suddenly I could see a face there and painted on the eyes, nose, lips and hair. It looked vibrant and original so I went on to the next and then the next.

What kind of cultural elements do you try to incorporate while painting the rocks?

My aim is to produce something beautiful, unusual and meaningful – nothing more!

As it happens, our Deccan plateau is rich in minerals and sometimes the most mundane roadside stone will be embedded with colourful or shiny bits which lend themselves to incorporation into the object of art…

How does your work incorporate the theme of the Biennale (Habit-Co-Habit)?

Blue is all-encompassing: the water around us and the sky above. They are not just fundamental habits but we inhabit them. In my work, Today’s Catch, what you see is an assortment of creatures in a state of peaceful cohabitation.