Osian's Auction Catalogue Select Masterpieces of Indian Modern and Contemporary Art | June 2009

67 29 Riyas Komu (b.1971) Pouch – full of stories (I carry weapon of your name) Oil, acrylic and marble grain on canvas, 2002 S/d in English ‘Riyas KOMU 2002’ on verso 47.9 x 96.0 in (121.5 x 243.8 cm) Inscribed in English ‘POUCH - FULL OF STORIES (I CARRY WEAPON OF YOUR NAME), OIL, ACRYLIC, MARBLE GRAIN ON CANVAS, 8’’ x 4’’, 2002’ on verso INR 2,400,000 – 3,000,000 USD 50,000 – 62,500 In this work, Riyas dedicates himself in creating a larger than life size portrait of his beloved friend late Girish Dahiwale. “This work was done with the spirit of remembering the memorable days at J.J. with Girish Dahiwale” says Riyas Komu. “Girish came to the Birla Academy to meet me recommended by Akbar Padamsee. His handsome face with long straggly tresses and a gay lissome physique belied a shy, soft-spoken, sensitive individual. Over the months (perhaps beginning from September 1997) that we met regularly, either at the gallery or our respective residences, we discussed our own premises of art and his exhibition – Toxic Tales (therapy) that happened at Birla Academy in February 1998. Eight large monochromatic larger than life self-portraits with striking meditative images with equally startling messages and titles comprised the exhibition that can be, undoubtedly, considered a signpost leading to the kind of work that has happened in the past decade. There was an inimitable overlap of the modern and the hyper-realist in Girish Dahiwale’s work. Poster-like and accompanied with text the works expressed an anguish and rebel that afflicts all youth”. – Niyatee Shinde An exhibition titled ‘Debt’ was conceived by a band of like minded people Anant Joshi, Riyas Komu, Justin Ponmany & T.V. Santhosh in 1999 at The Guild Gallery, Mumbai in fond memories of the late Girish Dahiwale who in his own way, as a friend, as an artist, inspired each of them. This in a way was also an expression of these artists dedication towards him (Girish Dahiwale), who committed suicide at the age of 25 in 1998. Girish was among the first few artists who created paintings from photographs. Atul Dodiya paying his tribute to this youthful artist In Five Drips from Vesuvius , creates an image of Dahiwale (drawn from a photograph of the artist bending forward towards the huge bell as though listening to the echoes and sounds originating from the bell with bunches of grapes all strewn around). This 1998 work of Dodiya was lettered across with names of illnesses projecting a cryptogram on a large space defining life’s passionate association disassociation within and without. “‘Debt’ was also an emotional expression of togetherness, i.e. the times spent with Girish Dahiwale” – Justin Ponmany “I knew him (Girish Dahiwale) through the stories his close friends used to tell me. Those were intense accounts about someone who passionately confronted the reality; raised questions against the kind of discrimination existing in the art world and laughed at follies of this material world. And then I knew him, as an example of innocence and commitment in this age of opportunistic pragmatism, who dared to sacrifice his life for romantic notions of love. I knew him as one who carried the fire of rebellion in his heart; his works reflected its sparks. He, at that young age made a mark in the history of Indian contemporary art. If he were alive now he would have stood tall as an eye opener, as he had the ambition and insight to become one. In the late 90s he came up with a language quite refreshing and showed a sense of ‘coherent’ experimentation in relation to execution of his ideas. His works combined elements of political poster making and advertising to address social issues at times in the pretext of personal symbolism. By extending the idea of painting into spectacular scale of 35 mm. movie screen and recurring images of his self-portraits as if in a moment of personal angst, seem to be bathed in Mumbai streetlights, give voice to the spirits of his time.” – T. V. Santhosh