Vikrant Kano

Name: artlink
Price range: $

artlink Directory
Vikrant Kano

Preferred pronouns:

he/him
Birth year:

1992
Primarily based in or works from:

India
Skills:

drawing painting photography archiving research creative thinking
Topics:

archives migration belonging personal identity cultural relations
Contact information:

Currently working on:

Currently, I am working on a project "Homes of Belongings". This project is about the imagination of a home without socio-political cultural boundaries. The work is an extension of my long-term, practice-based research - in search of a home.

Quick Facts:

Vikrant Kano is an artist based in Delhi, India. He completed his BFA (2016) and MFA(2018) from College of Art, New Delhi.

Vikrant’s art practice centers around the ‘‘idea of home’’ through the investigation of his family history & archives. His practice also follows interlinked dual aspects of home and homelessness, migration and land ownership, physical and mental boundaries, memory and trauma,fact and fiction, and subaltern narratives around partition in 1947.

His work involves mind mapping, archiving and documentation, drawing and painting, video, performance and installations.

He held his first solo online exhibition in 2021: PRAF Discover Series -04 ‘Lost In Translation’ supported by Prameya Art Foundation curated by Anushka Rajendran

Vikrant has participated in many exhibitions across India and abroad including,"Transitions and transformations: The constant flux of personal structures" curated by Geraldine Ondrizeck at Palazzo Bembo, Venice. "Call to Disorder: Experiments in Practice and Research" curated by Vidya Shivadas at the Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa. “Castelnuovo Fotografia”: Seventh edition held in the Castle of Rocca Colonna, Rome.

Vikrant's research project titled ‘Family memories’ interviewed by Manuela De Leonardis, was published in the Italian newspaper: Alias II Manifesto, Italy.

Three relevant works from the last 5 years of artistic practice:

2022 Personal Structure (exhibition), Transitions and Transformations : the constant flux of personal structures, curated by Geraldine Ondrizeck, Palazzo Bembo , Venice biennale
2019 Call to Disorder: Experiments in Practice and Research, curated by Vidya Shivadas, Serendipity Arts Festival, PWD complex, Panaji, Goa
2021 In Search of Home: 1939-2021 (present) Gathering of Memories published by Emergent Art Space, curated by Grazia Peduzzi

Highest educational degree:

Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A) , College of Art University of Delhi, New Delhi, 2016-2018.

Work samples:

Perch

ख़्वाब - ईंट और मिट्टी की चूनाई (Dream - Brick and clay mix)

CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER

How was the life of home? ( घर की ज़िंदगी कैसी थी ?)

We are on the same edge

"We Are on the Same Edge” is a triptych painting drawn from a collection of oral stories describing the experiences of Indian soldiers who fought for the British in World War II in Burma between 1939-1945. The work draws from personal accounts of Soldier Dhani Ram, my grandfather who was one of the infantry army soldiers, narrating the stories of death, the psychological trauma of being in the warzone, the scale of geopolitical conflicts and mass migration that raises questions about one’s sense of belongingness to a place/ space and identity. The following composition draws from a photograph of my grandfather with a friend in a photo studio in their uniforms just after returning from the Burma war in 1945. Who is standing together with him in this photo? As the backdrop of the photo studio becomes a war zone in the jungles of Burma, the painting rendered with surreal elements becomes a testimony of forgotten histories and the lasting impact it had on those who lived through it.

Where are we going?

Entropic cycle -1

The statement "space becomes a place, the place becomes escape" and escape becomes space highlight the intricate relationship between individuals and their physical environments. Initially, space may only be a location or a physical area that one occupies. However, as people form connections with their surroundings and develop emotional bonds with them, that space becomes a place - a location infused with meaning, memories, and a sense of belonging.

Nonetheless, when individuals are forced to leave their homes due to unforeseen circumstances, such as homelessness, displacement, war, migration, or pandemic, their relationship with space and place changes. Their once comfortable and secure place becomes a source of anxiety and uncertainty, replaced by unfamiliar surroundings that can be disorienting and frightening.

At the same time, the act of migration can also be seen as a form of "escape" - a way to leave behind difficult circumstances or seek new opportunities. And yet, paradoxically, this escape can also become a new form of "space" - a new set of coordinates or conditions that may eventually require further migration or transformation.

Overall, the statement seems to suggest that our relationship to space, place, and escape is constant.

https://youtu.be/bEAI_iRuYfo

https://youtu.be/NagnZkiMUFY

State Between Migration and Homelessness

In my black and white ink drawing series, I delve into the profound concept of the state between migration and homelessness. My artwork seeks to encapsulate the emotions and challenges faced by individuals caught in this transitional phase. By using intricate and evocative expressions, I aim to portray their struggles, resilience, and the enduring human spirit.

The series serves a broader purpose of fostering awareness and understanding regarding the intricacies of migration and homelessness. It encourages viewers to empathise with those enduring this vulnerable state of flux. By offering a visual narrative, I hope to ignite conversations and inspire action towards creating a more compassionate and supportive society for those affected by these complex issues.