Everything passes; everything change...-Bob Dylan

Everything that we see around are just moments within transition. The spaces change with its inhabitants; things that seemed to be ever-present, wane away with the nonchalant steps of time. The old can only find their space in memories. Can these nostalgic memories of different denotations in a single space be translated in a visual medium? This work is an attempt to negotiate the multiple interpretations of a single space over time. Inspired by the novel, 'Invisible Cities' by Italo Calvino, (where he describes a particular city by various names, character, settings and situations) this series of works takes a delineation of a single space as a stage.

These prints take from a single etched matrix are then superimposed with watercolour renditions of various objects, people and washes of colour. Floating around the space, these imageries embody a sort of liminal spirit of existence. The monotonous hue that marks the depictions on paper creates a sense of the depressive feeling of reminiscence when the old gets overwhelmed by the new.

Puja Mondal was born in Kolkata. She obtained her Masters and Bachelors Degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine-Arts, MSU, Baroda in the years 2019 and 2017 respectively. She is awarded the Nasreen Mohamedi scholarship from her alma mater. She is a recipient of awards like “Lt Milind Madhukar Bhade” Gold Medal 2019 and “Narendra Gajanan Bhatt” Gold Medal 2019 from prestigious Maharaja Sayaji Rao University in Baroda. She was granted the IMAGINARIUM 2.0, Emerging artist award by Emami Art, Kolkata, and also ‘Artist support Grant’, funded by Khoj Studios, New Delhi. She received the National Award for painting by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 2016. She has been a part of several group shows like Mycelial legacies curated by Deeksha Nath at Anant Art gallery, ‘Ask the Clouds to Remember’ curated by Shreemoyee Moitra at Akara Art Gallery 2022, ‘Baroda Annuelle’, at Gallery White, Baroda 2021. She was part of Auramah Art Retreat conducted by Champa tree 2022, New Delhi. She was also part of Delhi Contemporary Art Week in 2021 presented by Shrine Empire Gallery, ‘Zones of Convergence/ Divergence’ an online group show presented by Guild Art Gallery. She was a part of the Master’s Practise Studio organized by The Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2018. She was selected for the program of Khoj Peers Share on 2018.

 Presently she lives and works in Baroda.