CEREMONY

PREMA MURTHY

June 2 - July 25, 2023

Prema Murthy's solo exhibition ‘Ceremony’ showcases quiet and meditative paintings that explore abstraction through a fusion of physics, mathematics, and metaphysical themes. In her minimalistic series entitled ‘Eternal’ a series of quiet and meditative canvases distills the artist’s ongoing, syncretic explorations in abstraction. The subtle poetry of her work leaves room for the viewer’s interpretation, and lingers in one’s consciousness long after beholding them. Murthy’s paintings draw inspiration from empirical methods of cognition in physics and mathematics, as well as from metaphysical themes of the sacred and the eternal. This combination of formal minimalism and a highly nuanced approach to her materials evokes a sense of internal silence and contemplation, thus providing the necessary arena for what Hannah Arendt once described as the “soundless dialogue between me and myself” (“Thinking and Moral Considerations: A Lecture,” Social Research vol. 38, no. 3 [1971]: 434). It is a space where rigid axioms are disintegrated, and elasticity espoused.

The predominance of black in Murthy's Eternal series conveys her examination of rational and spiritual perceptions, symbolizing both the cosmos' infinity and expanded consciousness. Geometric forms and carefully painted lines express her contemplations on eternity, recalling spiritual symbols. Murthy's work aligns with mid-century minimalism, akin to Agnes Martin's serene compositions. Intuitively inspired by images before dawn, Murthy's art harmonizes the mystical with the objectivity of science, unifying disparate aspects of the human psyche.