Discoloured artefacts colour canvases

Reflections of the old world charm of broken, out-of-use artefacts, painted on to canvases with shades of the earth and rust, are on display at an ongoing exhibition in the Capital.

The exhibition, titled Unearthly Rust, features 17 paintings by artist Yashpal, who received his art training from Chitrakoot and Gwalior, two cities which, he says, have a rich “heritage and an old, rustic feel”.

“I am fascinated with things that break, get discoloured, fall out of use. The walls in our homes get cracked, blemished. My work surrounds everything old,” Yashpal says.

The 2018 Untitled work by the Delhi-based artist depicts a vintage, wooden door, with its copper-brown colours dripping in trickles.

Several other paintings have faint newspaper prints, muted colours and cracked walls, all adding to what Yashpal calls his artistic research about old artefacts.

“Seeing his work... feels as if old artefacts, clocks, doors, bells, windows have discoloured and condensed. They have been in connection with oxygen and water for thousands of years that have caused moisture and corrosion to them and that has deteriorated materials as a result of the chemical reactions... taking place among the dark brown, black, and rusty shades that Yashpal puts on his paper,” the curatorial note on the solo show reads.

Discarded in real life, the artefacts seem to get a new lease of life in Yashpal’s works.

Two Untitled, Mix on paper, 2018 paintings, on display at the exhibition