Attempts to contain, explores how the body responds to the physical and psychological need to protect, by forming a mesh of interlocking body parts. The work takes its starting point from the artist’s audio/video, “Beneath it all… I am human…”, 2009, where a Siachen soldier’s clothing is mysteriously removed layer by layer to finally reveal the skin. The soldier’s body can be secured by sophisticated clothing, manufactured to endure extreme temperatures and to withstand illnesses such as, Hypothermia, High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema, to name a few. However, beneath these fabrics, there exists the vulnerable inner layer of the human body. The artist broadens his investigation by asking; ‘How do we shield our mental state, when protective layers of clothing are removed?’

Attempts to contain, is a series of photographs of varied dimensions, layered in tandem. The artwork illustrates the trajectory of various attempts at weaving and intertwining the human body, in order to provide its own layer of protection. The photographs, like the act of weaving, draw on interlinking the warp (vertical threads) with the weft (horizontal threads) to form fabric. Creating textiles is a fundamental human interaction and one of the oldest surviving crafts.

The photographs begin to explore the corporeality of the Siachen soldier’s body when confronted with the intricacies of the psyche. Fingers, toes, hands, legs and other body parts, desperately attempt to weave and interlock, forming their own composition of twisted and tense shapes. This interaction between the warp and weft of mind and body, implies a deeper psychological understanding. Soldiers seek their own personal resolve; often unconsciously weaving a mesh that would psychologically hold, protect and contain.

In 2015, the photographs were first exhibited as part of the artist’s touring solo exhibition, thread by thread, supported by and at the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO), Leh. The exhibition was curated by Monisha Ahmed and supported by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, India; Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, Mumbai. In 2016, Attempts to contain, was awarded the Sovereign Asian Art Prize by The Sovereign Art Foundation, Hong Kong. More details here