A powerful exploration of rural life, memory, and tradition in contemporary Indian art at Emami Art Gallery
Emami Art, one of India’s leading contemporary art galleries, presents The Geometry of Ordinary Lives, a solo exhibition by renowned artist Prasanta Sahu. Running from April 25 to June 21, 2025, in Kolkata, the exhibition offers a deep, research-driven look into rural and suburban life in India.
The Geometry of Ordinary Lives brings together Prasanta Sahu’s decade-long inquiry into how traditional knowledge, craft practices, and generational wisdom are preserved and adapted across time. Through paintings, drawing installations, video works, and mixed media, Sahu explores how blacksmiths, carpenters, potters, and artisans pass on skills and philosophies amid the challenges of modern socio-political change.
Language of Poetry in Prasanta Sahu’s Lines
Drawing on his background in engineering and cartographic mapping, Sahu uses geometry, spatial structures, and numerical data to create works that are both methodical and poetic. His visual language highlights the fluidity and resilience of inherited wisdom while capturing the emotional layers of memory, absence, and presence.
Ultimately, The Geometry of Ordinary Lives reimagines artistic practice as a means of epistemological preservation. By integrating cartographic logic, archival inquiry, and poetic sensibility, Sahu constructs a visual repository that interrogates the resilience of ancient wisdom amid rapid transformations. His work positions art as a space for critical reflection, where craft and ancestral knowledge challenge the monopolisation of selective philosophical discourse and resist cultural erasure.
As Prasanta Sahu notes,
Each individual’s life connects to the larger social ecosystem, offering vital insights into our collective existence.
Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art, comments,
We are proud to support Prasanta Sahu’s thoughtful and experimental practice. This exhibition invites viewers into a world where research and artistic imagination come together.
About the Artist Prasanta Sahu
Born in Odisha in 1968, Prasanta Sahu first trained as an electrical engineer before earning fine arts degrees from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, and M.S. University, Baroda. His work has been showcased at major events, including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Artissima International Art Fair (Italy), and Busan International Art Fair (Korea). He is currently Head of the Department of Painting at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan.
About Emami Art
Located at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, Emami Art is a premier platform for contemporary South Asian art. Founded in 2017, it supports experimental practices through exhibitions, the Emami Art Experimental Film Festival, artist residencies, and mentorship programs, building a dynamic community for emerging and established artists.
Feature Image Courtesy- Emami Art
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