This one-of-a-kind show in Mysuru proudly showcased ordinary objects that hold meaning for ordinary people

The materials on display laid bare personal histories.
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Amshula Prakash

“Who gets to say what art is?” asks entertainment lawyer and art curator Amshula Prakash. “Who decides what belongs on a wall, under lights, what is worthy of being looked at?”

Janapriya, a unique show curated by Prakash, held this February in Mysuru, tried answering that question by gathering objects that matter to people. “Give me something that you own, something dear to you, or something that you think is art,” Prakash asked people. 

It led to diverse contributions, bringing storytelling, emotions and connections to objects. “I have often found the most exciting and profound creative gestures in the spaces between institutional validation, says Prakash who was inspired by famed curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, about showcasing art in “unspectacular places”. “I wanted to create an exhibition where art could be perceived in everyday environments.” She opened up her living room and a friend opened up her kitchen.

Visitors at Amshula Prakash’s home, which served as the venue for the show.
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Amshula Prakash

The “treasures” she received from people were as diverse as they were unexpected; beautiful in the way they laid bare personal histories. Contributions came from domestic helpers, well-travelled neighbours and even the family of Kannada cinema icon, the late Dr. Rajkumar. Her household help brought a glass that her late husband, an alcoholic, would drink from. She had kept it safely among her saris in the cupboard after he passed. Her friend shared cross-stitch cushion covers from her honeymoon to Palestine. Once bought as beautiful souvenirs with traditional embroidery from a gift shop, they have now acquired new meaning. 

Lakshmi, another domestic help, created art from a skill that has given her both pain and purpose. “She created flower strings from cloth, paper and fresh flowers.” As a six-year-old, Lakshmi was frequently beaten to ensure she tied the flowers correctly. But as she grew up and honed that skill, it helped her get five siblings married and educate her son. “For me, this is art,” she told Prakash.

An installation by artist N.S. Harsha.
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Amshula Prakash

“Everything was of equal value for the duration of the exhibition, given the sentiment of the items shared — whether it is the silver crown gifted to Dr. Rajkumar or a pair of broken spectacles used by someone’s grandmother. Outside of this personal narrative, a glass is just a glass,” Prakash says. 

She thinks the instinct for art has always existed among us. “We are always creating mini museums at home, in showcases or shelves with objects important to us. I’ve just picked up on that observation.”

The writer is a freelance journalist and the co-author of ‘Rethink Ageing’ (2022).