Drawing Room: Why Deepak Kumar is inspired by Alex Davis’s art
Alex Davis uses soil from far-flung parts of India to create terrains that reflect both geography and memory. Take a close look
Alex Davis is as adept at sculpture as he is at industrial design. And much of his work, regardless of the medium, pays homage to India’s diverse topography. His work mirrors my own fascination with nature, memory, and identity.
Davis was born in Kerala, and has studied at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and the Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. But his unique approach of incorporating elements such as soil from various corners of India is similar to my interests in capturing the essence of a place — its history, texture, and soul. The way he transforms earthly materials into abstract shapes is powerful. It invites the viewer to experience the land not just visually, but emotionally.
Those who aren’t familiar with this work might want to start with one, titled Ochumber Slopes 8, which is part of the Maps of Layered Stratum series. As with other works, Davis has travelled to distant and isolated corners of the country, collecting samples of the local soil and using them as pigments. So, different textures recreate an undulating mountain terrain across a series of frames. From afar, the effect is extraordinarily that of approaching an actual mountain range, whose sun-dappled colours vary with light to shadow. Vegetation of any kind is conspicuously absent.
Complementing these paintings is The Pashmina Tribe, a set of mountain goats sculpted from aluminium and steel, and covered in the same soil pigments. The figures seem like they’ve trod on unruly mountain paths. Each figure stands on a separate block, alluding perhaps to the difficulty of their solitary sojourns.
Another Davis series that fascinates me is Herbarium Indicum. Davis spent his early years on the paternal family’s rubber plantation in the foothills of the Western Ghats and his maternal family’s home in the backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala. He grew up amid lush green foliage that seems to have shaped his interest in botanical science. His large illustrations are painted in a single predominant colour, with plant life rendered in detail in bold, beautiful monochromes. The effect is striking. The imprinted images of the blooms emerge subtly from within the bright splashes of colour on the canvas.
When I first saw Davis’s work at his solo show at the Exhibit 320 gallery in Delhi, I was struck by the connection he creates between material and memory. What also stood out was the immense scale of his works. One doesn’t always associate intricate flowers and similar elements of nature with a large and commanding presence. Davis manages to do it over and over in his sculptures and paintings.
Like Davis, I use materials, be it soil or animal remains, to create work that evokes deeper connections to the environment. Ordinary elements can carry profound meaning, encouraging viewers to reflect on the fragility of life and our responsibility to the planet. We both understand that.
BIO: Deepak Kumar’s works focus on the effects of rapid urbanisation on birds, animals, insects, and agricultural terrain, which he witnessed upon moving to the capital
From HT Brunch, February 08, 2025
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