Contemporary artist Sisir Sahana’s glass art display in Chennai comments on the idea of genesis

Sisir Sahana’s glass sculptures
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A vertical column of transparent glass steals the limelight for its scale and prominence, as well as what lies inside.

Engravings of leaves and textured, abstract patterns that almost seem to be in motion make up the facade, as a single pomegranate stays inside. Above sits a human figure. Artist Sisir Sahana calls this visual narrative in glass, an artistic representation of growth.

Sisir’s latest collection of glass sculptures, currently at Chennai’s Forum Art Gallery, use the glass to channels intangible concepts into a tangible narrative. 

The collection, titled Intangible Treasures, which took shape over two years, carries a seriousness that is different from his previous works exhibited in the city. Take for instance, a blue-and-white mass of glass with a navy blue fountainhead, which resembles a mother and child. Or an opaque mass in red, with a fruit at its centre, signalling nourishment and growth. 

“The leaves, flowers and seeds lay the foundation for the next generation. These little bits of nature form the core of any object,” says Sisir. “It is also important to acknowledge that we are all surviving because of Nature.”

A similar train of thought follows his ‘mother’ sculptures — again, abstract forms, that represent the varied facets of the idea of a beginning. 

Sisir Sahana’s glass sculptures
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Initial images of the form that later translate to glass, rely heavily on the concept of genesis. Ceramic addendums, of human forms and elements of Nature, are meant to lend more meaning to the artwork.

The pandemic also has an impact on these forms — a translucent sculpture is etched with social media logos and icons, depicting how dependent the urban population was on the Internet, during the isolation of lockdown. 

filler pictures Sisir Sahana’s glass sculptures
| Photo Credit:
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“I start with sketches, then move on to find the form in clay, which is moulded with PoP. From the PoP mould, I take off the clay to get the positive space, which is filled with molten glass,” speaks Sisir, explaining his laborious process.

For this show, various types of glass are fused to form different consistencies. “Glass has different characters: sometimes opaque, translucent or extremely transparent. In this particular display, I wanted to represent the varied nature and character of glass. So that people can break away from the idea that glass only has a glossy and shiny character. It can be rough too,” says Sisir.

When the medium is translucent, he adds, more layers are revealed, and some might even appear to be in motion. He states, “Glass is both a material and metaphor for me.”

Intangible Treasures will be on view at Forum Gallery, Adyar till July 29.