Abhishek N. Verma (b. 1990) The imagery in Verma’s artworks stems from the ongoing con icting identities in one’s everyday life. Set in surroundings familiar to us all, the situational storytelling is an attempt to allow the viewer to be absorbed in the events and confront reality, while at the same time not forced to experience them. These settings reflect the characters’ mental states and leads to an investigative process through a selection of “what if’s”. Overall, the works revolve around the ideas of dysfunctionality, socio-political conditioning, memory recall, fabrication and personal insecurities arising out of one’s circumstances and anxieties.

The series A Game of Permutations and Combinations is derived from the endless negotiations with oneself in continuously evaluating and making decisions about what to prioritize. Relating this concept to the lithographic process, Verma notes, “It is, in itself, such a game, where I would draw multiple images on the stone and later decide on one image that resonated best with me while neglecting or rejecting the others. It’s like a strategy to which ideas and thoughts are constantly being added and subtracted to and the right amount of affect.”