The art world often witnesses the emergence of motifs that capture the unique vision of an artist; one such significant motif is the spiral, which became a hallmark of the late Vishal Joshi’s captivating artworks. Currently, the expansive spaces of Kalakriti Art Gallery in Hyderabad are adorned with his creations in an exhibition aptly entitled “Signs of Commitment.” This homage is curated by his wife, who is also an artist, Trupti Joshi. She has meticulously chosen paintings and installations that Joshi crafted over the preceding decade, drawing attention to his steadfast fascination with employing spirals not only in his large-format paintings but also within his smaller, intricate installations made from an array of found objects.
Joshi, hailing from Indore, was a multifaceted abstract artist, with a prolific output spanning various media including painting, sculpture, installation art, and photography. A few years prior, Joshi had reflected on his frequent use of the spiral form, regarding it as a critical part of his artistic quest—a journey that shaped his personal language of communication and reverence. In remembrance, Trupti recounts her husband’s profound spiritual orientation and his complete dedication to the realm of art. She shared a poignant memory, “He would finish his morning prayers and toil in the studio for hours, his work often stretching into late evening. During the initial lockdown, with the surge of uncertainty that surrounded us, we both anchored our focus on our art. Tragically, the second wave of the pandemic claimed his life.”
At the exhibition, one can gaze upon “Chandelier,” a painting by Vishal Joshi that showcases his adept blend of abstraction and figuration. The spirals subtly hint at the elegant form of a chandelier, its golden splendor in stark relief against a somber red and black backdrop. This mastery of Joshi’s use of yellow and golden tones permeates several of his works displayed at Kalakriti, as Trupti elucidates: “There were instances where he married yellow with golden hues to breathtaking effect.” In a creation titled “Fireflies of the Aravalli,” Joshi captures the nocturnal allure of mountainous landscapes in deep blues and blacks, which he then punctuates with golden spirals that conjure images of luminescent fireflies against the dark sky.
Interspersed among the large-scale paintings are his smaller installations, where Joshi repurposes found materials such as tree barks and fragments of wooden handcarts. In his piece “Germination,” he adorns three distinctively textured wooden barks with a spiral in gold-colored brass that encapsulates the very essence of life. As a testament to his adept use of metallic spirals, another installation showcases wood tiles amalgamated upon the charred surface of a handcart.
Reflecting on his spiral obsession, Vishal had explained how the form plays a significant role in Sufism, touching upon the spiritual dimension of spirals seen in the whirl of dance as a medium of devotion. In his palette, the primary colors of red, green, yellow, and blue were often joined by metallic flashes of gold and silver—a color scheme heavily influenced by the five natural elements and their inherent energetic properties.
Reminiscing about their shared past, Trupti shared a tender recollection of their time as art students, “Back in college, I recall his fixation with drawing spirals—it was intense and unwavering.” For Vishal, spirals resonated as symbols of continuity and growth, motifs intrinsic to Nature itself. He believed that in the intertwining of art and meditation, spirals could serve as powerful visual tools, reinforcing one’s commitment to attaining higher sensory experiences.
This commemorative collection, “Signs of Commitment,” summons art aficionados and the public alike to Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills, offering a profound glimpse into the world as seen through Vishal Joshi’s spirals till February 15. The display not only showcases the distinctive artistic lexicon of Joshi but also stands as a moving testament to an artist’s unwavering dedication to his craft and vision.
