Opening Reception - Brick Workers - Kriti Gallery
Please join the opening of the exhibition Brick Workers.
The artist Anja Bruehling and the contributing writers Dan Morrison and Juhi Saklani will be present.
The Brick Worker will be shown in their first solo exhibition in India. The Kriti Gallery with support of the Banaras Foundation is showing the work from December 5th, 2019 - February 29th, 2020.
Over the last 15 years the Kriti Gallery hosted Indian & International artists of traditional and contemporary art in all mediums of the visual, journalistic and performing arts and new media. Many artists, like Kenro Izu, Fazal Sheikh, Danyanita Singh amongst others have shown their work here, it was often conceived in Banaras.
About the exhibition:
India is a fascinating place and a true microcosm of human life. Spanning the entire spectrum from joy to sorrow, from extreme wealth to extreme poverty, from top notch medical care to non-existent, from hunger to extreme gorging, from healthy to the sick. India is a place where every single idea about human living, about life and its associated philosophies, about political systems, about law and order can be explored. You can come away extremely sad, depressed and rejecting of everything that is India. Alternatively, you come away with an exhilarating feeling to explore more, do more, try more, and live more in every facet of one’s life. This is driven simply by taking a look at how even the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor are driven to work hard, live hard and take life in its stride with all that it has to offer.
There are so many communities that can be examined to illustrate the hardships suffered by the many people living in India. Anja Bruehling’s project examines ‘Brick Workers’. Brick building in India is a back breaking tough work compounded by issues such as bonded labor, exploitation of the poor, uneducated. Estimates show that there are over 200,000 kilns all over India with an estimated 12.5 million to 25 million people working. India's brick industry contributes around $4bn to the country's economy every year. The problem is all the more serious in the northern parts of India such as Uttar Pradesh due to overpopulation, lack of education and corrupt politicians and businessmen.
