Navjot Sohal
Game of Life
Wood, Scrap & Metal
5 x 25 x 25 in
2013
NAVJOT SOHAL
Born - 1989
My work is largely inspired or based on the game of “CHESS”
Life is similar to the game of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of consciousness.. By playing Chess then, we may learn foresight, circumspection and consciousness.
My works are centred towards me as a ‘QUEEN’, in this matter I would like to concentrate on political positioning of women in society as well as being ‘queen’(being the king ) in a game of chess. Since the days of old, women have been the target of a lot of attention in the lives of societies. In old Greek, Roman, and Indian societies, the status of women was poor. They did not enjoy the same legal rights as men. My works portray a few sections of society through my perception. I have portrayed myself by using the quality of material that gels up with the situation very quickly. I tried to add new dimension to my sculptures by balancing it. Thus showing the end of life of humans. Joy, freedom, unity, rhythm are the subjects which I wanted to depict in my sculptures. Each sculpture is related to each other with threads. Apart from the bad experiences I have tried to depict my good experiences, so that, the sculptures can provide positive energy to the viewers. Chessboards here represent my periphery and me and my realisations play the role of the object on the board. Chess is a game where the player needs to storm his brain in each second to make a smart move. In life we always need to make the right choice and take the smart decision unlike chess. That’s how I have represented chess in my recent sculptures.I was in an experimenting phase during my bachelor course in sculpture, I was somewhere clear with common idea of how a lot of artists choose themselves as a concept in their works. But, it happened at the end of 4th year when I actually realised my signature for ‘the game of chess in life’. It became quite easy to relate myself as the centre of my game of chess in life. I started to work seriously with chess as my concept since my master’s first year and since then the journey begins. My journey through this concept feels like life, it is something which has become a part of me, it is no different. As Pablo Picasso rightly said,” The purpose of life is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”. It became a path for me to reflect myself somewhere, to deal with the typical daily norms of society and life. Art became like a meditation for me, a living mandala I can practice so that I can find my path to existence.
Courtesy of Roy Thomas , Navjot Sohal
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