@sanat_initiative “Mind=Blown 2.0 (a dialogue with Piet Mondrian)” by @artistghulamhussain which opens on Tuesday 11th March 2025

In the words of the artist, “I integrate the precision of traditional techniques with the philosophies of modernist movements such as De Stijl and Bauhaus, creating a unique visual language that reinterprets history through the lens of contemporary art. In my recent body of work, I reimagine the grid—a core motif in De Stijl and Bauhaus aesthetics—not as a rigid, mechanical structure, but as a fluid, evolving space where order and imperfection coexist. My encounter with Mondrian’s oeuvre in New York sparked a deep engagement with geometric abstraction, but instead of maintaining its rigid purity, I introduce the tactile and organic qualities of woven paper and hand-applied watercolor. The woven grid, with its frayed edges and slight irregularities, transforms Mondrian’s modernist pursuit of order into a meditation on craft, labor, and material fragility. At the heart of my practice is the woven paper technique, a process that reflects my commitment to materiality, texture, and the physical act of making. Paper, with its fragility and versatility, allows me to explore themes of resilience, decay, and the passage of time. Each composition begins as an act of repetition—cutting, weaving, aligning—but as the process unfolds, it takes on a unique rhythm, mirroring the delicate balance between control and spontaneity. The interplay of primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) within the woven grids directly references De Stijl’s utopian ideals, while the handcrafted surfaces emphasize Bauhaus principles of uniting fine art with craft and function.”