Atul Dodiya’s new collection of calibrated shutters is quite interesting.

The new shutter based work, entitled ‘Malevich Matters’ is on display at Delhi based Vadehra Art Gallery. The earlier shutters were largely operational one.In this series, he it seems, has chosen to break away from the style.

The artist has stated, “I’ve mainly used oil for my new series of shutters painted on canvas. Their life-like corrugated metallic surface makes up the backdrop. They appear like applique work on the surface. I let this hybrid imagery happen so that it engages the viewer and raises in their mind questions.”

The unique shutter art, as it is termed, references Hindu gods among other offbeat motifs, resulting in complex compositions. Atul Dodiya first opted to paint shutters when The Tate Modern Museum of London commissioned him in the year 2000 to come up with urban landscapes of Mumbai city for its ’Century City’ group show. Mumbai was then chosen as one of the world’s top cities for portraying the sociopolitical changes. Whenever under siege Mumbai literally ‘downed its shutters’.

The new series displays interesting images of late Bhupen Kakkar, Tyeb Mehta, and also Picasso, Mahatma Gandhi and all those different individuals the artist admires. He employs the sizzling shutters as a curious backdrop for his art practice that blends sharp snapshots of the fast evolving urban landscape of Mumbai.