THE ARTIST: Rajan Krishnan
His background: Born in 1967 in Kerala. After his B.A. in Economics, he did his B.F.A. (Painting) at the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, and then his M.F.A. at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University of Baroda. He lives and works in Kerala.
His concerns: The fields and villages of his youth play the protagonist in most of his works as he records the dramatic changes wrought by development and urbanism.
The exhibition: Ore/Substances of Earth
The concept: A multimedia installation of large and small-scale paintings, metal and terracotta constructions and a DVD. Together, this personal reflection on tragedy and resilience modifies the way we experience a space and remind us of our universal past.
The highlight: Ore, a terracotta construction set like a hill about ten feet tall, composed of thousands of handmade terracotta figurines; each one functioning as an atom/molecule that is a maximum of four inches in height. Made by artists, friends, art students, laymen artists, children, local working women and men, this work is a spontaneous, constructive and creative response to earth/mud/clay through a collective and interactive process.
The venue: Bodhi Space, Wadi Bunder, Mumbai
The dates: January 19 to February 9.

THE ARTIST: TV Santosh
His background: Born in 1968 in Kerala. After doing his B.F.A. in Sculpture at Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, he did his Masters in sculpture at the MS University of Baroda. In 2000, he moved to Mumbai where he now lives and works.
His concerns: The persistent and ominous presence of violence and injustice throughout history disturbs the artist, and his work confronts the subjects of war and terrorism as well as its relationship to the eco-political and environmental struggles we face.
The exhibition: Countdown
The concept: Sculptural installations done in mixed media, based on the notion that the world is going to end, whether due to terrorism or global warming. Through his use of timer devices, a cluster of bones and paintings depicting images of terror drawn from reality, the artist represents the fear psychosis sweeping across continents today.
The highlight: Houndingdown, a sculptural installation of fiberglass sniffer dogs, metal and LED panels, which recalls images of bomb squads hunting down terrorists; and Bone Prayer, a cluster of fiberglass bones on a Last Supper-like table attached to a timer device, which signifies the prophecy of a terrible future or an imminent catastrophe.
The venue: Nature Morte, Delhi; preview at The Guild, Mumbai
The dates: January 24 to February 16.