'RAGE, RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT'

Mumbai-based artist akshita gandhi uses lightboxes to express her inner sensibilities

- Alpana Lath Sawai

Akshita Gandhi is a Mumbai-based artist who, having shown her exhibition ‘Let there be light’ in galleries abroad (New York, Miami) has brought her works home. Her artworks use mixed media and are accompanied by a sonnet that conveys her artistic intent.

Gandhi has created a concept of a lightbox to showcase her work because light, she says, speaks louder than the darkness surrounding it which rises in the forms of prejudice, hatred, racism, and misogyny. Thus, Gandhi perceives her effort as a vehicle of social change with an immersive quality. She says, “I wanted my pieces to serve as a constant reminder that real change needs to come from within, only then can we make this world a better place to live in.”

To do this, Gandhi combines story-telling through the powerful medium of art. She says, “When you create work which is fascinating, the audience is bound to stop in either awe or disgust. They will want to listen to what you have to say because their curiosity is tickled. At an exhibition in Mumbai recently, I attempted dialogue on patriarchy, censorship, and gender biases through my theme. I strive to bring such unspoken topics to the front using light and LED frames with artworks as a source to illuminate my artworks as well as remind my viewers that they need to be the light and love they wish to see in the world.”