Minam Apang
Minam Apang | India b.1980 | The sleeping army may stir (detail) 2008 | Ink and synthetic polymer paint on fabriano cold-pressed paper | 70 x 240cm | Collection : Isabelle Levy and Geraldine Galateau, Paris | Courtesy: The artist and Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai
b.1980 Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Lives and works in Bangalore, India
Minam Apang creates evocative drawings that draw upon the imagery of India’s cities, as well as the mythology of her native Arunachal Pradesh in India’s far north-east, located between China, Bhutan and Myanmar (Burma). Her most recent body of work, War with the stars 2008, is inspired by folklore particular to the ancient animistic culture of this region, which is traditionally conveyed by storytelling or song. Apang’s fantastical miniature landscapes are characterised by a precision of line and a delicacy of touch. Her works are made with calligraphic ink, initially spattered and trailed across the paper to create an unrestricted, dynamic structure. Working into these random drips and stains, Apang creates detailed, multi-layered drawings within drawings, developing stories within stories. Referencing human and animal forms as well as natural elements, these works suggest the interconnectedness of the world as she sees it. Trained in traditional Buddhist thangka (scroll) painting, as well as contemporary Western practices, Apang investigates the forms, methods and language of drawing, while reflecting a culture that is rich in narrative.
Exhibitions (solo): Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai, India, 2008, 2007. Exhibitions (group): ‘Present-Future’, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, India, 2005.
