My art is my therapy, says artist Neeraj Bakshi
Bakshi says animals have a special role in his theatre, as they seem to connect directly with the observer as the ardent human self, ‘breaking the fourth wall’.
For the visitors on Puri’s beach, the sight of a 15-feet long turtle was a visual treat to watch.
The gorgeous artwork made from layered plastics by Delhi-based artist Manveer Singh was a collage of 250 small turtles of the waste plastic with a message on the ever-increasing level of plastics in the seawater.
Interestingly, the visitors on the famous golden beach of Puri, who halted for a moment and had a look at this beautiful work, also got the message on the menace which might rise to a dangerous level by 2050.
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With more than 5,000 people viewing Manveer’s impressive work on the beach near Digabareni Point, the mythic structure representing the Olive Ridley sea turtles has a story to tell every visitor.
The artist, who has won the “METIS Initiative on Plastics and Indo-Pacific Ocean 2021” Residency of city-based Utsha Foundation for Contemporary Art, explained
“Odisha has a special link with the Olive Ridley sea turtles and its long coast is famous across the globe for many mass nesting sites. However, with the plastic level rising in the seawater day-by-day, my work at Puri beach today showed the tragedy which is likely to happen as the baby turtles might not feel safe to go to the sea once they hatch. The work of mine is thus a loud message to make people aware of the pollution being originated from plastics and how we could play our tiny roles to contain it. I have used the mythical symbolism of Olive Ridley as its connection with Odisha’s coastline is well recognized.’’, the artist, who has won the METIS Initiative on Plastics and Indo-Pacific Ocean 2021” Residency of city-based Utsha Foundation for Contemporary Art, explained.
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