The conversation will focus on Sharmistha Ray’s painterly techniques which result in abstract paintings with an almost relief-like character. Speaking of the act of painting in terms of a spontaneous release of creativity, the discussion will also look at the sources the artist has been drawing upon. Furthermore, the overall structure of Ray's paintings - which is best recognised in relation to Abstract Expressionism - will be explored. The talk will highlight the artist’s influence by this avant-garde movement which played a predominant role in the Western discourse of 20th century painting. As the series „Hidden Geographies“ can be viewed as landscapes, the conversation will explore the historical roots of landscape painting in Romanticism and its impact on later movements. This leads to the contemporary status of abstraction and the critical debate on the role that beauty and the sublime play in non-representational painting today.
Sharmistha Ray, born in Kolkata, India. Ray lived in Kuwait before moving to the United States in 1997. She holds a dual degree from Pratt Institute (M.F.A. in Painting/M.S. in Theory, Criticism & History of Art), and is a recipient of the TED India Fellowship (2009) and the Joan Mitchell M.F.A. Grant (2004). Ray held directorship positions at Bodhi Art and Hauser & Wirth, before returning full-time to painting
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ACFA founder and principal Birgid Uccia holds an MA in Philosophy and History of Art from the University of Zurich. She has more than 20 years of in-depth experience in the international art world as a gallery owner, curator, and art advisor. For more than a decade, she has been advising on contemporary art from India and the subcontinent, enabling unparalleled access to this market on the ground.
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