ramesh mario — kcpcollective

RAMESH MARIO
ARTIST

^{As he reveals below, one of Ramesh’s deepest secrets is that he is in fact an introvert, a beautiful contradiction when you know his work. In a world where you can taste the smell of metallic and see the music in the airwaves, his art engages all of your senses at the same time and the result is the strange and dreamy sensation of transcendence. Perhaps it’s the lack of rule following, or the seemingly unharmonious approach to each piece, but it works so well and it’s so fucking cool.

As to the un-harmoniousness of his work, there is in fact a very conscious and cohesive theme present; religion and its iconography. Raised in a christian household, at a young age he was captivated by religious idolatry and the symbology he found through it. Later in life he sought out the iconographies of all religions, fascinated that it was always there in some form. His work today is an exploration into the history of religious semiotics, using his hands to excavate iconographies from all religions.

His captivation with religious deities and idols is a beautiful expression of consciousness in my opinion. Man yearns to find meaning in life that is larger than he, the exploration of those discoveries tells us so much about the similarities of humankind, separated by time and distance, but unified by the search for truth. Ramesh’s curiosity for man's curiosity is art in its own.}

^{What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I love making art! I know this seems like a predictable response. But I often have to ground myself and remember that I get to emerge EVERYDAY and do the thing I love the most (make and engage with art!) with a level of freedom and comfort that is relatively uncommon in our industry.

What excites you most about the art world, and what excites you the least?

The bending of geographical axis points is so exciting. Globally, our industries are no longer solely looking to Europe and the United States as THE centres for contemporary art and culture. There seems to be a better understanding and valuing of the Global South..

What's your greatest challenge in life and work?

BALANCE! I don’t even know what this practically means. Sometimes work is more fun than life… so I spend most of my time in that physical and mental space. I do recognise it might be nice to have other hobbies… but they can wait!

What's your idea of total happiness?

The world is constantly changing. I try to not be rigid when thinking about these grand ideas or provocations. A life with good food, people, diverse cultures and ideas sounds pretty good.

What's your idea of total misery?

A life that is singular and monocultural.

What are the qualities you admire the most in other artists or creative people, and why?

I think the best artists break rules with sharp intent. Creative people are often afforded opportunities to do this in open and speculative ways. Thinking, feeling and doing in non-linear and non-prescribed ways can lead to amazing things.

What do you value more in art you love/inspires you - talent or testimony?

I don’t feel talent and testimony need to be separated. But for the sake of the question, I’d always go for testimony. I’m interested in ideas, not pretty pictures.

What if no one ever bought another sculpture or painting from you, what would you do?

I’d teach.

Tell us something no one knows about you.

I’m an introvert.

What's the worst advice you've ever been given, and what's the best?

The best advice…be wary of compliments. The worst advice…respect the hierarchy.}

RAMESH MARIO ARTIST

RAMESH MARIO
ARTIST