Arjun Das | photo credit: special arrangement
Arjun Das is drawn to his identity as a first-generation migrant from Jharkhand to Kolkata. His solo show, Land of the Lil at Dhee Artspace in Hyderabad, provides a glimpse into the spaces occupied by the migrant working class in cities. In search of a better life and livelihood, most migrants move to cities where they live in small, temporary spaces. Narratives in wood, metal, stone, coal, terracotta roof tiles and asphalt reflect their lives, struggles and ways of surviving in this new home that offers nothing in terms of space but holds hope for their unfulfilled dreams Is. The show’s title, Land of the Lil, refers to the cities as places of dreams that allure them.
Arjun Das | photo credit: special arrangement
waste as art
Artist Arjun Das works with scrap materials collected during his travels. One such 7x9x5-inch wooden board from a truck becomes his canvas, on which he recreates a busy street in Kolkata’s Bara Bazaar.
Arjun Das | photo credit: special arrangement
Human figures are absent in this scene-like cave architecture, only a symbolic identification with place and objects is achieved. In fact, there is no human element in any of his creations. It’s a preposterous idea, say the artist, who equates it to architectural landmarks and temples, with no mention of the thousands of workers who built them.
Interestingly, he has carving tools with a screwdriver. “Many DIY tool hacks are used to manage expat life. For example, a damaged omelet pan handle is replaced with another available tool. I make my carving chisels that way,” says Arjun.
series during lockdown
Arjun Das | photo credit: special arrangement
The tea shop series done during the lockdown reflects a somber mood. Arjun visited the street where he noticed that the place which used to be bustling with people was filled with sadness during the lockdown. Images of tools strewn here and there, overturned benches, tables and chairs, reveal how migrant workers reached their hometowns when the lockdown was announced suddenly.
Arjun was 11 years old when he came to Kolkata from Jharkhand and worked as a child laborer in a hotel for two years. “It was not the life I wanted to lead,” says the artist, who joined a school after those two years and continued working in the evenings to earn his living until he graduated in fine arts. did. He also did Masters.
Most of the works – inspired by his life – are a harsh reality. “It is an attempt to give dialogue based on experiences. I see many young people getting married at the age of 20; Their studies are stopped and they migrate to cities to meet responsibilities,” he says.
Arjun Das | photo credit: special arrangement
From visiting junk shops and slums to picking up leftover asphalt on a surface road, Arjun collects various waste materials to create art. Collecting material left at the sites, he talks to people to hear their stories and also videographs and documents them. His poems engraved on the terracotta roof tiles collected in the gallery are also displayed in the form of notebooks. “No one in town knows his real name; People call him by different names,” he says, pointing to his poem engraved on the terracotta roof tile – Somewhere Ramu, somewhere Bhaiya, somewhere Tenia were seen; We were named according to place, age and appearance,
Arjun tries to inspire the migrant workers to encourage their children to go to school. “I tell them that with a Class 10 degree, one will get a job as a daily wage laborer or in a hotel. I was lucky and worked hard to choose the second chance life offered. People have been living a life of poverty for generations. I share my story and try to convince them not to let their kids take over their lives.
Arjun Das’s solo show Land of the Lil is on display at Dhi Artspace till 31st January.