From Jan. 11 through Feb. 12, Unit London will display Suchitra Mattai’s debut solo exhibition “Monster,” a collection of vibrant, textured multimedia works that explore the intersection between otherness and monstrosity.
Like the mythical chimera, Mattai’s work reflects the monstrosity of hybridization through the combination of various mediums, morphing the mundane into the unexpected. From found needlepoints to collected saris, the artist capitalizes on found items that capture her imagination to introduce dimension and texture to her work.
In her artist’s statement, Mattai elaborates on the inclusion of found items in her work.
“I re-imagine vintage and found materials that have a rich past as a way of creating a dialogue with the original makers and the time periods in which they were cherished as well as a means of navigating my own personal narrative,” Mattai said. “I often use vintage saris as a way of connecting women of the South Asian diaspora from around the world.”
In this exhibit, Mattai utilizes recognizable motifs with unexpected twists to explore the true root of all that is monstrous, the fear of the unknown, and how that fear can demonize people that are “other”.
Exhibition Curator Rebecca Hart explains that Mattai’s heritage and background influenced her artistic decisions which allows the audience to identify with the monstrous.
“Suchitra Mattai confronts biases by naming them and opening a visual and conceptual arena where she creates a spectacle that lodges in our psyches,” Hart said. “She invites us to explore our own monsters, especially how we are involved with othering and mental health metrics.”
Through stunning pieces that seem to come alive off the gallery walls, Mattai captures the allure of the forbidden and the disquiet of the unknown in an effort to spark discussion. The known and the unknown. The familiar and the unfamiliar. The monstrous and the beautiful. Through color, texture and composition, Mattai weaves together contradictory elements to create a unity that celebrates differences.
