Tom Felber for ceative face Magazine
Riyas Komu, born in 1971 in Kerala, India is currently regarded as one of the most promising contemporary Indian artists. 1999 Komu got his Masters in Fine Arts at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, India. Having exhibited in 2007 at the Venice Biennial with his work series Designated March by a Petro Angel, he garnered European attention and added another important international exhibition to his list of critically acclaimed solo- and group shows. For creative face Magazine Riyas Komu answered Tom Felber's questions.
creative face Magazine: War and violence seem to be important themes in your works. Is your art your way to express social and political criticism?
Riyas Komu: My works are more about innocent civilian struggles than the so called "war carnage tourism", which one can see as an emerging visual language for all media. My works revolve around all the geopolitical locations without any kind of discrimination, because I believe art is a greatest invention that is capable to balance society.
creative face Magazine: How does the development within the Indian society influence your works?
Riyas Komu: There is a skeleton under all my works which is Indian - call it Indian collective identity or a certain type of Indian aestheticism. When you live in a multicultural society which celebrates all kinds of isms and beliefs, it is clear that it will effect an artist's aesthetics and politics. In my case, the strongest element is the traditional craft which completes the model. The show Related List presents an artwork entitled "Undertakers" which symbolically embodies myself as a "snake".
creative face Magazine: You work with a lot of different materials and techniques. How does your choice for a certain material or technique influence your works' message?
Riyas Komu: Material itself can be a message for an installation artist. That's an important aspect I enjoy in my works. Wood is undergoing RE-incarnation in my sculptures, because most of the wood just played a merely domestic role before I bought it off. By working with this used wood, the sculptures start engaging in a social commentary and therefore the role of the wood changes. According to me, wood is a spirit. And the new craft creates the spirit's new transition.
creative face Magazine: Thank you very much Riyas Komu.
