Supriya Sharma - Andrew Mezvinsky
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May 7, 2008 In Press

Supriya Sharma

Journal Dryer
His website reads ‘LOSTARTIST.ORG’. Andrew Mez choses to imitate his nomadic life in textiles instead of paper, writes
Supriya Sharma

A chequered past and a large family that fell ‘apartÏ, landed Andew Mez in a ‘do or dye’ situation. So there he was flung straight from the Ghanian wilderness to Jaipur’s jamboree picking up Indian dyeing details. Apart from his nomadic delineations, Mez also holds the inimitability of using fabric for drawing and painting. It could be just anything, a scrap out his mothers cupboard, a leftover piece in the dyer’s den or even a ‘horse shit catcher’, the very first fabric he ever used for his artistic exfoliation…eeks! I wanted to mat the most obnozious looking and smelling piece beautiful,îlaughs the roving artist. How about painting a sari? ìNo, I think a Sari is something ver sacred and ingrained in the Indain ethos so I would want to touch it,î explains Mez.

A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Mez is shortlist for the Walker Contemporary Art Show at the Liverpool National Gallery in Liverpool, England. Before arrivine in India he was in the Ghana where he created five ìGlow in the Dark Schoolî murals. While in India he has been studying traditional dyes and techniques in Rajasthan, in order to apply it to his painting, which are up for sale at the Rafaael art gallery in Chattarpur right now. Mez’s work is created on fabrics that become sculptural, as folds create dramatic lines of light and shadow. But why fabric? ìWhy not,î pat comes the reply. ì there are two things that are always in news these days:’ Who murderd who?’ and Who’s wearing what?’ So fabric is am important fact or our lives,î jokes Mez.

Not to ignore the tangible aspect of it all. Mez has observed the basic human nature to touch., hold and feel most things…even works of art instead of getting intimidated by their sanctity. ìWith my paintings there is no such thing, they don’t seem sureal to you,î promises Mez who apart from sourcing fabric from Indian villages also produces his own textiles. ìMy favourite combination for painting is the rough and tough denim and the royal and shiny silk, ì he tells you.

Mez’s painting depicts everything from kathakali dancers whom he calls ‘green floating men’ to monuments, deserts and common life. He has also finished a skethcbook on the same,ninth in a row. ì I am on the hunt for a publisher now!î signs off the nomad.