The Strangers Project brings Korean and Indian artists together in Hyderabad

South Korea is known for its distinctive rock formations, as is Hyderabad. Can people shaped by similar landscapes remain strangers to one another? Artists from the two places explore this question in The Strangers Project, a group exhibition at Prangan, Hyderabad.

The exhibition brings together around 25 mixed-media works by artists Lee All, Sarah, Park Sung Eun, Lee Su A and Cha Chang Uk from WooMa Museum of Art in South Korea, alongside Savara Murali, Abhishek Joshi and R Ankitha from Banyan Hearts Studios (BHS). Working across painting, drawing, textiles and ceramics, the artists explore each other’s landscapes through diverse materials and forms. Natural materials, including mud, dry leaves, discarded wood, wires and pebbles found around Prangan, have also been incorporated, reflecting on how artists connect with and respond to their environments.

Exploring landscapes

Artists from BHS and WooMa visited each other’s countries as part of an exchange programme in March this year

“The works are connected to personal experiences, nature, memory, society and the rapidly changing environment around us,” says Korean curator Sarah. “We want to show different perspectives within contemporary Korean art through our works.” While there is no single motif connecting the artists, themes of identity, human relationships and our relationship with the environment recur across the exhibition.

“Each artist has a unique creative process involving personal experiences or observations, while others start with materials, images or research. Through experimentation and repeated processes, the initial idea gradually develops into the final artwork,” she says.

Sarah, who is from Jeonju in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, is visiting Hyderabad for the second time. Growing up in a city known for its traditional culture, crafts, food and historic architecture, where traditional and contemporary culture coexist, has influenced her perspective on art. She sees a similar tension in Hyderabad. “Hyderabad is a blend of old and new, especially its unique combination of history, culture, architecture and rapid urban development. I am also keen to discover the artists here because the city has its own unique artistic and cultural context.”

Ceramic artist Abhishek’s abstract pottery responds to the rapid concretisation of urban spaces, while Ankitha focuses on their exploitation and encroachments along the Musi river. Also on view is a video installation by Sarah featuring interviews with participating artists at Prangan, discussing their inspirations and the making of Strangers Project.

Strangers Project, a group exhibition is on at Prangan in Hyderabad