“There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people—and the environment—suffer badly” - World Water Vision Report
An old victim of humanity’s indifference, it is high time we recognized water as the core of conflicts worldwide. The most conflict-ridden zones are in fact the most water-stressed, and not by coincidence. The symptoms have been around for long – variously labeled as militarism, religious fundamentalism, terrorism, violence, and so on – but the underlying problem begs attention. It is a much deeper challenge than the symptoms we have been trying to tackle all along. Water is at the core of this challenge, and we can either let it continue being a source of conflict or see it as a source of hope – that humanity has finally come to that fork in the road where the only obvious choice is to establish a new standard in uniting our interests and channeling all energies towards overcoming a crisis.
And if we, the most evolved of creatures, cannot agree on something as fundamental as the importance of water, can there be much else that we can agree on?
Artist Statement on Series
This series was born out of an endless fascination for water, nature's own liquid and an everyday object to which we owe all of life. The intention is to express my disposition when I see water in its myriad forms and to evoke the same in others, for nothing plays with one's sense of wonder as inexhaustibly and multifariously as the element of water. The desire for self-expression and the sense of wonder out of which art is born, fused inevitably to create these water-inspired works. Oils, acrylics, transparent photo colours and mixed media were employed in this series.
Taken for granted over the millennia as a common indivisible resource, water has virtually become just another commodity in the market place, with supplies being dominated by the rich and powerful. While reflective of the innate sense of wonder that water stirs up, this series is a call to awareness, advocacy and action on the water crisis.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Self-taught and 22 years of age, this is Namita’s second solo art exhibition. The first, titled 'Alive', was held in Alliance Francaise de Bangalore in 2005. She recently completed her LLB and was presented a gold medal from APJ Kalam. Ironically, she rediscovered her artistic leanings during her law course. About her passion for art, she says, "The blank canvas, to me, exemplifies infinity. While the sky may symbolize infinity to most others, I'm glad I see that infinity in something so tangible and within my reach - the ''blank'' canvas. Like life, it is what you make of it, and that is what makes its challenge so real to me."
