21/09/2026
Mohd. Arif's art practice is based on the concept of “Beauty in the Gruesome.” Vibhatsa Rasa is central to his practice. The nine rasas form the foundation of Indian aesthetics, with Vibhatsa Rasa representing the expression of disgust. His work explores the transformation of Vibhatsa Rasa into an expression of beauty, while also approaching the work as a contemporary form of memento mori.
During his BFA, he regularly undertook studies of places where animal remains and corpses were discarded. He made extensive studies through sketches, sculptures, and installations, focusing on how beauty could be expressed alongside the powerful presence of life and death. These experiences led him to explore the nature of reality and the formal qualities of painting through ordinary objects, using symbols associated with Vibhatsa Rasa alongside imaginative elements drawn from the history of Indian miniature painting.
This research forms the foundation of his practice and raises questions about the nature of conceptual art and the values assigned to contemporary artistic media. He is interested in challenging these values through experimentation with materials and processes.
He has also investigated new possibilities for painting through assemblage, creating works through the accumulation of materials such as glitter and hand embroidery with surgical blades on canvas. His paintings often cover the surface with thick layers of colour and decorative elements, drawing on my studies of textiles and contemporary media.
Arif is continually looking for new ways of working that can shift existing visual expectations and generate new possibilities. His practice constructs cohesive works from beautiful yet unsettling forms, creating a balance between pleasure and discomfort. Ultimately, he am interested in the transformation of Vibhatsa Rasa into beauty, and in the possibility of creating an art that is simultaneously beautiful, unsettling, and reflective of the realities of life and death.
Uncertainity (Detail View)
Acrylic, Glitter, Surgical scalpels on Canvas
60 × 72 inch
Uncertainty (Install View)
Acrylic, Glitter, Surgical scalpels on Canvas
60 × 72 inch
Uncertain
