Seven Art Limited is pleased to present a personal exhibition by the Baroda-based artist Prathap Modi titled “Together, Again”.  Modi’s large wood block prints speak a language of social concern, exploring the subjects of human desire and identity.  Produced through a process of meticulously hand-carved, oversized woodblocks printed onto large sheets of paper, his works are at once painterly, sculptural, monumental and thoughtful.

The gallery will show several sets of woodblock prints as well as the large printing blocks that the artist mounts, prepares and presents as separate works.  These wooden “objects” which he finishes and mounts for exhibition have a very different appearance than the lush prints, becoming both more material and yet flatter in appearance, taking on the acrylic colors used for the prints to very different effect.  Where a print may show tones of gold and orange, for example, the blocks will show a deep purple hue, reflecting the coats of paint in alternate ways.

Modi will also present a set of silkscreen prints on metal - portraits of humans together with animals such as a dog or lion - extending his theme of unity and peace. He will also show a sculptural installation composed of numerous small hand-carved wood blocks that have been color-stained from use.  Modi’s inventive and well-crafted use of woodblock printing, along with the presentation of the blocks themselves, is both traditional and conceptual, ushering the technique into the contemporary arena.