Birender Kumar Yadav
Striking Surface
2018
Sculpture
18 × 12 × 12 in
Artist Statement
My body of works are a reflection of my personal experiences and childhood memories embedded within me which triggers my thought process about the question of identity within the modern social context, the question of representation and politics of class difference, the issue and plights of the working class society and the nature of violence prevalent in our society.Often times again, I am compelled to reflect on my immediate identity of being a son of a labourer- a coal miner from Dhanbad. I was raised and brought up in Dhanbad,one of the main centers for manufacturing coal in India used for cooking, a particular sort of coal important for steel production. It is also said to be one of the most polluted areas in the world. The struggles and plights faced by these illiterate laborers became a daily and lived experience. My works reflects the appalling conditions faced by these workers.Coming from a small village to the metropolitan city in New Delhi for my higher studies, I was influenced by the growing metropolitan sights and constructions. I was taken aback to the irony of how modern structures and buildings are constructed for the comfort of the masses but how the actual workers are forgotten. My own experiences allows me to lend an empathetic eye towards these ‘unnoticed masses’, a vantage point to the narratives of their stories of survival against all odds.My works are direct responses to the surrounding environment, I want to bring out the pain and grievances of these people to the society.Although being academically trained as a painter, I have worked with different mediums and materials which helped me to explore the physically of toil, the painstaking task of a labourer. I am interested in research and process in the work.My intentions are to work and connect with my social and political context .In this process I wish to explore different media and materials to explore my visual language and identity. I work from every day experiences and conversations for inspiration. I pick proverbs, colloquial words (local word), slangs or terms easily conversable and understandable by common people as a starting point for my work. I research on how there has been a transition in shift in perception of these in the contemporary context. I collect views of common people about the picked ideas in the form of writing, audio and video documentation. After gathering a lot of information, I think of ways of presentation in my studio. I produce painting,
sculptures, installation, photography, found object, man made objects and innovative methods. I stay open minded in terms of selecting materials for execution.
Courtesy of Roy Thomas, Birender Kumar Yadav
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