Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran: Idols of Mud & Water
Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran was born in Colombo, Sri-Lanka in 1988 and has lived in Australia since 1989. He crafts exuberant ceramic sculptures inspired by global histories of figuration, as well as contemporary influences.
Evoking ancient deities or totemic idols, his ritualistic sculptures gesture to shared histories, multiplicity and plural cultural identities. Colourful, hybrid, human-animal sculptures echo the coexistent belief systems that reflect the artist鈥檚 own ancestry, inspired by iconography and mythological narratives from across South Asia.
Exploring these themes through a contemporary lens, Ramesh鈥檚 sculptures explore his own multifarious influences. Though they resemble ancient idols, his figures are often adorned in contemporary fashions or reflect a queer sensibility. Lathered in colourful glazes and adopting playful poses, they are often performative or engaged in some form of heightened display, introducing electricity, neon and other contemporary raw elements into an otherwise ancient visual language.
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Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran was born in Colombo, Sri-Lanka in 1988 and has lived in Australia since 1989. He crafts exuberant ceramic sculptures inspired by global histories of figuration, as well as contemporary influences.
Evoking ancient deities or totemic idols, his ritualistic sculptures gesture to shared histories, multiplicity and plural cultural identities. Colourful, hybrid, human-animal sculptures echo the coexistent belief systems that reflect the artist鈥檚 own ancestry, inspired by iconography and mythological narratives from across South Asia.
Exploring these themes through a contemporary lens, Ramesh鈥檚 sculptures explore his own multifarious influences. Though they resemble ancient idols, his figures are often adorned in contemporary fashions or reflect a queer sensibility. Lathered in colourful glazes and adopting playful poses, they are often performative or engaged in some form of heightened display, introducing electricity, neon and other contemporary raw elements into an otherwise ancient visual language.
Artists on show
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Tramway, Glasgow is to present Idols of Mud and Water 鈥� Sydney-based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran鈥檚 first institutional solo exhibition in the UK and Europe, opening in Tramway鈥檚 main gallery.
Sullivan+Strumpf shared that a major new exhibition from Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Idols of Mud and Water, was opened on Friday evening, November 24, 2023...
Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran is striking a pose. He鈥檚 pouting, slightly; scowling, gently; and dressed in an acid-bright floral shirt with pink trousers and lilac flatform Crocs.
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