These last few months might just be some of our most trying times. As the world reels under the onslaught of the pandemic, individually we’ve all had to fight our own battles – face changes we never saw coming, witness unimaginable injustices and bear losses like never before. As sobering as the last few months have been, they have also pushed us all out of the spectator stands and rethink our words and actions. From the protestors demanding justice for George Floyd, to the rescue workers mitigating the aftermath of Amphan and Nisarga, to the many individuals coming to the aid of migrant workers across the country – people everywhere have been moved by powerful realisations and have stepped up to make the right call and take the right action.
And so, our seventh anniversary issue – once again, out only digitally – tackles just that: ‘Epiphany’ or that decisive moment when a sudden realisation shifts our perspectives and subverts the norm. We started this issue with the intent to look at Epiphany and see how it converts into a viable, creative form of expression. But like all our themes, this too managed to overpower us and the journey of making it presented us with a few choice epiphanies of our own. Through this issue, we got in touch with artists who give their epiphanies a dynamism that leaves us with not just a sense of wonder, but also a sense of confidence in our own realisations.
On the cover, we have two works (one older painting and the other, a more recent reflection) by acclaimed artist Arpana Caur who managed to capture a collective consciousness through the metaphor of time and our fragility.
From shadow puppetry and ornitography to Ron Mueck’s giant Masks, Cortis and Sonderegger’s reconstructed realities and the revelatory experience of re-watching Chandralekha’s iconic ‘Sharira’; the rare mix of artists, writers and collaborators we worked with in this issue, showed us the space where new ideas exist and how they can transform our perspectives.
And, for that, we are truly grateful.
Once again, we are eagerly looking forward to the day Arts Illustrated is physically back in your hands and in your homes. But in the meantime, please enjoy the seventh anniversary, only-digital version of the magazine, and buy your e-copy here.
