The Indian-Bookshelf Series I, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
The Indian-Bookshelf Series II, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
The Indian-Bookshelf Series III, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
The Indian-Bookshelf Series IV, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
Riddle No. 16, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 39.6 x 48.3 cm, 2025
Angarey, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Dwikhandita, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
The Moor's-Last-Sigh II, Book pages, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Meesa II, Book page, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 , 2025
Fantasy and Ruins, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Perumal Murugan, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Split, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Himalayan-Blunder, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Perumal Murugan, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Insomnia, Book page, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 38.1 x 123.2 cm, 2025
Knife, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 101.6 x 88.9 cm, 2025
The Land of Milk and Honey, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 68.6 x 53.3 cm, 2025
An Area of Darkness, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 68.6 x 53.3 cm, 2024
Interpreting the Text I, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, Wood, 153 x 35.5 cm, 2024
As a journalist, I have always been drawn to artistic works that explore ideas of censorship and free speech – central to Mansha Chattwal’s compelling new series. Mansha’s work stands out because it does more than aestheticise the chilling effect of the burning or blacking out of provocative texts. Her use of ritualistic materials such as wax and wick convey, with quiet beauty, the paradox between how societies venerate and suppress the written word. Look closer, and the embalmed pages have a skin-like quality: a visual metaphor for the human hand behind the banned stories? Or a suggestion that these are books that, quite literally, get under the skin of the status quo? It is these layered meanings that makes her series disturbing and hopeful at once: a powerful body of work at any time, all the more in the present moment when the free pursuit of creative expression – for writers, artists or journalists – has never felt more fragile.
Sreenivasan Jain
Journalist
- Mansha Chhatwal
- 2nd April – 21st May 2025
The Indian-Bookshelf Series I, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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The Indian-Bookshelf Series II, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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The Indian-Bookshelf Series III, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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The Indian-Bookshelf Series IV, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Thread, 152.4 x 29.2 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Riddle No. 16, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 39.6 x 48.3 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Angarey, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Dwikhandita, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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The Moor's-Last-Sigh II, Book pages, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Meesa II, Book page, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 , 2025
Language of Silence
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Fantasy and Ruins, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Perumal Murugan, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Split, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Himalayan-Blunder, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Perumal Murugan, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 45.7 x 30.5 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Insomnia, Book page, Paper, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 38.1 x 123.2 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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Knife, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 101.6 x 88.9 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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The Land of Milk and Honey, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, 68.6 x 53.3 cm, 2025
Language of Silence
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An Area of Darkness, Book page, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, 68.6 x 53.3 cm, 2024
Language of Silence
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Interpreting the Text I, Book pages, Beeswax, Damar Resin, Pigment, Thread, Wood, 153 x 35.5 cm, 2024
Language of Silence
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