LOOM OF LIFE, TEXTURES OF TIME
Art India|December 2019
Priyansha Jain traces the deep weave of Monika Correa’s journey.
Priyansha Jain
LOOM OF LIFE, TEXTURES OF TIME

The first object that catches my eye in Monika Correa’s flat on Nepean Sea Road occupies a chunky part of the living room. The horizontal loom has been part of the space that has doubled as her studio for over fifty years.

It was in 1962, while accompanying her husband, the famous architect Charles Correa, to Boston that Monika stopped over in Finland. Charles had a four month-long teaching stint at MIT. It was this trip that set her on a journey that would define her life. She had been enthralled by the ryijy, traditional Finnish tufted rugs, that she had seen at a weaver’s workshop in Helsinki. Monika was keen to learn weaving and through György Kepes, a painter and professor at MIT, she got a chance to meet Marianne Strengell, one of the most noteworthy mid-century textile designers. Strengell had recently retired as head of the Cranbrook Academy’s esteemed textile department after teaching for over 20 years. She decided to take Monika under her wing.

Fast forward to 2013. Weaving can be taxing on the shoulders and the back. Monika (b. 1938) had been working quietly but consistently. Thanks to the insistence of her husband and the persuasive powers of gallerist Shireen Gandhy, she spent three years creating a new body of seminal work that was presented as a solo at Chemould Prescott Road. The aging loom was being resurrected.

Homage to Kepes (2012) was one of the 34 works exhibited at the show. It was bold and stark, and the luminous colours were reminiscent of Rothko’s canvases. The weaves not only expressed a gratefulness to Kepes but also brought together two features of Monika’s journey as a weaving artist. The fuchsia loop piles mined the flourish of Finnish long-tufted tapestries and explored the desire to further plumb the medium; the central orange and red meandering weaves expressed the dynamic frames cape of memories in a technique she had cultivated over time.

Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de Art India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de Art India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE ART INDIAVer todo
Parts, Wholes And The Spaces In Between
Art India

Parts, Wholes And The Spaces In Between

Sonal Sundararajan introduces Samira Rathod's free-spirited and rebellious explorations in the world of architecture, furniture and design.

time-read
6 minutos  |
April 2023
"The Fine Art of Going to the Pictures."
Art India

"The Fine Art of Going to the Pictures."

Dr. Banerjee in Dr. Kulkarni's Nursing Home at Chemould Prescott Road brings together 26 paintings featuring a series of dramatic scenes from Hindi and Bengali films. In conversation with Abhay Sardesai, artist Atul Dodiya talks about childhood trips to movie halls, painted figures gripped by tension, and the closeness and remoteness of cinematic images.

time-read
10 minutos  |
April 2023
"To Finally Have Something of Your Own to Mine."
Art India

"To Finally Have Something of Your Own to Mine."

Dayanita Singh is the recipient of the coveted 2022 Hasselblad Award. Keeping the photograph at the centre, she speaks to Shreevatsa Nevatia about books, book objects, photo novels, exhibitions and museums.

time-read
6 minutos  |
April 2023
OF DIVINE LOSS
Art India

OF DIVINE LOSS

Shaurya Kumar explores the relationship between the subject and object of devotion, finds Aranya.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2023
THE PAST AND ITS SHADOWS
Art India

THE PAST AND ITS SHADOWS

Neha Mitra visits two shows and three artists in Mumbai.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2023
FORCE OF NATURE
Art India

FORCE OF NATURE

Alwar Balasubramaniam dwells on absences and ephemeralities in his new work, states Meera Menezes.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2023
SHAPES OF WATER
Art India

SHAPES OF WATER

Devika Sundar's works delineate the murky, malleable boundaries between the human body and the organic world, says Joshua Muyiwa.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2023
INTIMATIONS OF INTIMACY
Art India

INTIMATIONS OF INTIMACY

Sunil Gupta shares his journey with Gautami Reddy.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2023
THE FRACTURED PROSPECT
Art India

THE FRACTURED PROSPECT

Nocturnal landscapes as ruins in the making? Adwait Singh looks at Biraaj Dodiya's scenes of loss.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2023
TEETERING BEYOND OUR GRASP
Art India

TEETERING BEYOND OUR GRASP

Meera Menezes traces Mahesh Baliga's journey from Moodabidri to London.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2023