Artist Viraj Khanna explores brain rot with fibreglass sculptures and embroidered textiles

Sanjana Shah, creative director of Tao Art Gallery, and artist Viraj Khanna
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Somewhere between capturing the cultural zeitgeist of social-media-triggered existential patterns and exploring expressionism through various art mediums, artist Viraj Khanna’s works at Mumbai’s Tao Art Gallery provoke the mind and heart in equal measure. A compelling narrative on brain rot, which has come to be termed as Oxford Word of the Year 2024, his sophomore solo exhibition at the gallery is titled Brain Rot: The Life You Live?.

“This show is very personal to me — you can see the inner workings of my mind through the different works I am showcasing. The titles of the textile depict my thought patterns when I share images on social media. My own screen time averages over seven hours a day, which I find shocking. I know how bad it is for me, and I can sometimes feel the effects of this high screen time, but I still cannot reduce it. I need to be active on Instagram and other platforms for my career,” says Kolkata-based Viraj, who is presently pursuing Fine Arts at the School of the Arts Institute in Chicago.

The retrospective displays 10 fibreglass sculptures and 14 embroidered textiles. “There are a few different styles I have worked on, with respect to the fluidity of embroidery. Some works have artificial leather and leaves embroidered too,” he shares.

The textiles spotlight visual and tactile texture. “The embroidery works take anywhere between 500 and 2,000 hours. I work with a team of craftspeople, and there is a lot of experimentation with ari and zardosi. I actually paint or make a collage. Once that is done, the khakha (or layout) is made. Then, for embroidery, one experiments with material. In some works, there is padding to create a 3D effect and there are embroidery patches too. I have also experimented with French knot,” he says. 

The fiberglass sculptures are puppet-like figurines with dark-toned and tumefied lips and eye sockets. There is another striking feature in these figurines — the use of big-brand logos. “The logomania comes from my need to be seen in a certain way! I run luxury brands, Anamika Khanna and AK-OK, so I definitely feel that more. We live in a society where we are represented by images. Everyone tells me that I’m so different in real, as compared to what they expected based on my social media profile. Each sculpture takes a couple of months,” says Viraj.

Most of the artworks reflect contrasting tonal compositions. Dark hues, like black and deep browns are cushioned between vibrant shades of blue, yellow, green and purple. Viraj notes, “British-Mexican painter Leonora Carrington would say about her works — that we are always trying to over intellectualise everything. I resonate with this because so many decisions we make which are just visual. Sometimes, I just experiment with different colours and chose something that feels right to me. These are subconscious decisions we make as artists but they reflect our aesthetic. Same for the textiles, I would say.”

While defining the creative arch that dictates his ideation, Viraj likes to believe that it happens “organically”, because he is thinking about what goes on in his mind when he uses his phone. “I would post images and think about why they did not get enough likes. Or I would post a story, which could be absolutely meaningless to depict a certain lifestyle. I would post pictures of parties I am attending, which actually spoils the experience of the party,” he says.

To Sanjana Shah, creative director of Tao Art Gallery, Viraj’s artwork is a product of his interaction with external world and his internal self. “While artistically beautiful and technique oriented, it also displays a fundamental philosophical bent that is rare and takes years to develop. It impressed me with its cultural relevance in today’s day and age,” she adds.

Next month, Viraj will showcase his khakha paintings series at India Art Fair. “I have used the tracing paper or the khakha and seeped paint though the needle holes in the paper. I am very excited to show these works! Also, I am working on a solo in Los Angeles at Rajiv Menon Contemporary,” he signs off.

Viraj Khanna’s artworks at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, are on view till February 9. Only a few, starting at ₹1 lakh, are on sale.