The exploration of metal in sculptural form has been one of the preoccupations of artist Janardhanan Rudhramoorthy, over the last decade. Deeply inspired by nature, he has found various means to adapt the hard and heavy medium into visibly fluid and dynamic objects. Coming from a background in painting, Jana was drawn to processes of three-dimensionality that translated and presented his concepts in ways beyond the surface of a canvas. This led to interesting experiments early in his career, including composite forms like the creation of a beehive with nails on wood, and meticulously shaped wire arrangements representing human anatomy.

As he expertly pursues potential shapes and figures, Jana’s grammar has grown to accommodate visual and material paradoxes. Solid iron is teased into softness, furthering the experience of malleable matter that can bend and turn with ease. Dense sheets of metal are forged into multiple slender strips, developing the illusion of transparency and graceful movement. Despite the large scale, many forms are sculpted and displayed to emulate lightness and the lack of gravity, defying the nature of the material. Finally, the sturdy pieces often showcase an organic patina of rust, referring to the impermanence of anything in this world that chemically reacts to the atmosphere around it, slowly but surely.

...In his work, the motif of the nest has consistently been a metaphor for the body. In both paintings and sculptures, Jana has explored the idea that human consciousness and selfhood resides within this bodily container; it is protected as well as hidden, with layers or glimpses being revealed and discovered. Deep observation of everything around him has been one of the key elements to his artistic process from the start. Finding the body compelling and beautiful, he often makes studies and tracings of himself. The resultant works bring about a philosophical engagement with the complexity of the human persona - its internal and external, physical and spiritual traits. Acknowledging the form’s existence as an idea even before the idea takes a physical shape, Jana explains, “This idea of physical absence/presence fascinates me and I translate this concept into my work using the notion of a trace. The trace is both a presence and an absence and I bring this to my work by literally tracing the body impression on iron.”

Behind the smoothly finished sculptures is a process that can be lengthy and labour-intensive, necessitating mechanical precision, technical collaboration along with structural understanding of the medium and space, particularly for those working in expansive scale. For Jana, each series of works brings about fresh learnings and sharper insight, as he moves through the journey from envisioning through drawing and maquette making, to the execution stage with the production of parts, assembling, and finally displaying, with his team.

With a post-graduation from the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, and fifteen years of experimentation, Jana believes that the meaning of art comes from sharing experiences and knowledge. He has built a unique language that communicates the very essence of spatial balance and visual synchrony.

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