Desires
Never Desire
This exhibition presents a series of five paintings and drawings which were created during the lockdown, based on the theme of ‘Desire’. These works explore Artist Jemisha Maadhavji’s ‘Desires’ during the lock-down.
Each art work largely details on her fascination with vibrant luxury interior design, jewellery and flowers such as; House of Hackney wallpapers , The Flower Room at Annabel's Mayfair, Gucci , Liberty London and Essie furniture and carpets, Perfume by Goutal Paris and Jewellery by Anabela Chan . She explores her muse and herself as the protagonist.
'Desires Never Desire’ takes the viewer onto a fantastical journey.
Maadhavji's new works are miniature and small scale works created on paper. Working small is unusual for her. This series is influenced by the exhibition ‘The Forgotten Masters' , The Wallace Collection’ and 'Notes on Camp' by Susan Sontag. Maadhavji states: I saw Indian Miniature and botanical paintings for the first time, delicately painted with stone pigment, water colour and gouache on hand made paper intrigued me which influenced me to create a series of miniature works using Dye and colour pencils.
This exhibition has been curated responding to the exhibition theme 'Desires Never Desire'. Dreaming of having the works exhibited on a wall filled with floral Sabyasachi wallpapers and frames, accompanied with flooring by Farnham Antique Carpets. This exhibition is a installation which has been created digitally; the wall coverings, frames and flooring. The works are only available unframed.
'Desires Never Desire' Curated by Jemisha Maadhavji
“During the lockdown, I felt very dreamlike. My mind felt more liberated. The world felt more calmer and peaceful. The sky was blue and the sun was shining almost every day , there was no rush and a lot of positivity. Whether it is ‘The Lockdown’ or not ... desires never shy away. Owning the most exquisite furniture and clothes, visiting the best clubs and restaurants they forever remain. Whether your middle class or wealthy desires will never distinguish between ‘classes’. Desires have no classes ('class system’). With desires come dreams... limitless dreams...
The works are driven by beauty aesthetics and gender. Her works refer to fashion, interior design, artists like Raqib Shaw, Pre Raphealites, Frida Kahlo, Rene Magritte and theorists like Susan Sontag and Rowland Barthes. Maadhavji's works embrace the east and west.
In today’s day and age of the 21st century people are surrounded by social media and endless images of celebrities and other public figures where people fear of judgement and fitting in with the society. An individual doesn’t need to dress or present themselves to fit into the society or ‘Social expectations’ One can be as outlandish as they want! Jemisha Maadhavji- 'I question who makes these social expectations? In my opinion ‘Camp’ also erases the difference between social stereotypes'
Maadhavji often refers to flowers within her paintings. They can be sculpted onto the canvas with thick creamy oil paints to layers delicately painted. Here the Artist creates Rose Boy with Dye on paper. This work is delicate and strong, which evokes sensitivity and sincerity challenging historical and contemporary stereotypes and social values.
The teenage boy not yet a man nor a boy any more is growing out of a rose smiling which represents innocence. His naive growing facial hair suggests he is growing into a man. His long mono-brow and long eyelashes represents ‘Beauty’
The pink rose represents delicacy and femininity dating back to the Pre-Raphaelites and present. This association has been tied up with women for centuries and also currently. However, 'Rose Boy' represents change.
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'Rose Boy'
Hangs off a Sabyasachi wallpaper 'Vasant Nilaya' and frame
'I hope to portray my muse as ‘Everyman.’ Delicate, and beautiful. And I hope people don’t associate this with ‘feminine’
The Artist's works begin with her own photographs of furniture or found images. They begin with a line drawing followed by patiently layering paints and coloured pencils onto the surface which extremely time consuming.
A teenage boy sits on a Liberty London sofa and carpet. This identifies the nature of dreams.
'I often visit Liberty London and boutiques on Bond street to take inspiration and photographs so I can use them in my work'.
Dream King
Hangs off Sabyasachi wallpaper ,'Gulbahaar Patiala Green' and frame
'Camp is the glorification of 'character'- Susan Sontag 'Notes on Camp'
'Perfumed Dreams'
Hangs off a Sabyasachi wallpaper, 'Cheent-Lapiz' and frame
Perfumed Dreams is a miniature drawing on paper, revealing the artist’s ‘dream room’. The work features House of Hackney wallpapers reimagined with yellow skirting boards, a Gucci chair and carpet from the fashion house’s AW17 campaign and the artist’s favourite Tutti Frutti necklace by Anabela Chan. She wears a Lavender Hobbs blouse which beautifully contrasts the busy environment.
“Whenever I like something, owning it will never get me enough of it, So I need to make a drawing or painting of it. The process for 'Perfumed Dreams' is very different than usual. Everything in this drawing was unplanned. I started off with a line drawing of the chair followed by the lamp, carpet and wallpaper, having no idea how it was going to end up. It was almost like shopping.”
'Rose Boy' and 'If I were a Flower refers to Sontag's Notes on Camp: 'What is most beautiful in Virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine'. Susan Sontag, Notes on Camp
This is a self portrait of the Artist as a flower growing out of a rug inspired by Essie Carpets.
If I were a Flower
Hangs off a Sabyasachi wallpaper 'Vasant 'and frame
‘Jemabelle’s The Mirror of Magic’ is a direct influence from Annabel’s Mayfair’s Flower Room interior which has been Maadhavji's long term desire to visit the venue.
It is a surreal painting influenced by ‘Shéhérazade’' by Rene Magritte. This painting explores the human nature to look into the mirror to see how gorgeous we’re looking, but this mirror is so beautiful that anyone looking into it will not be credited as much as the mirror itself.
'Everything in this is spectacular; Design by Martin Brudnizki , from the wall covering by La Maison Pierre Frey, the jewel-like chandelier by Sogni Di Cristallo, lined with my favourite perfume Goutal Paris, Rose Pompon, the mirror itself of course I want to be this mirror, as elite, colourful beautiful and magical.'
Jemabelle's: The Mirror of Magic
Hangs off a Sabyasachi wallpaper 'Vasant' and frame
Please note: This exhibition has been curated solely with the assistance of software. Art works are only available unframed.
