Artist
Shanthi Chandrasekar
Title
Kolam-Space
Date2018
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions30 × 40 in. (76.2 × 101.6 cm)
Framed Size: 43 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (110.5 × 85.1 cm)
Framed Size: 43 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (110.5 × 85.1 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection
Object numberDCCAH2019.011.2
ClassificationsPaintings
Locations
Council Office of Racial Equity (1350 Penn Avenue NW, 6)
DescriptionShanthi Chandrasekar’s artwork explores the concepts of space, time, energy, fields, infinity and fractals through repetitive traditional patterns. Kolam-Space was inspired by the traditional Kolam drawings from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Women typically create these curvilinear and gridded patterns daily at sunrise and sunset on the floor in front of their houses using powdered rice or rock. Here, Chandrasekar represents space in the blue areas; Shakthi, or diving power, with the red dots; and the flow of electromagnetic energy with the white lines. She drew the larger circles using a protractor and the smaller ones freehand. Likewise, she drew the longer lines with rulers and the white dotted lines without, combining precision with freedom to create movement throughout the artwork.
