A Transcendent Force – Solo

Cork Street London, Vadhera Art Gallery

27th Feb to 15th March – 2025

Curated by Linsey Young

The exhibition takes it’s title from the lines below from the Book of Beginnings, the first book of Sri Aurobindo’s epic poem Savitri which deals with the goddess Usha( Dawn).

“A prayer, a master act, a king idea
Can link man’s strength to a transcendent force.”

An Indian nationalist who was at the forefront of the Indian movement for independence from British colonial rule, Aurobindo developed a spiritual practice called ‘integral yoga’ .

In 2012 for her project A Story within a Story Butail asked participants to respond to the theme of Black Sun; an idea that is rooted in a variety of ancient oral traditions and symbolizes an invisible force of energy that represents both the unity and conflict of opposites. What followed she has described as an ‘open conversation’, where using the literary device of a story within a story – a technique that is used to ‘store’ scriptures orally – she invited participants to write or draw in response to the story of abandonment of Martand (a mythological character) by his Mother Goddess Aditi. Providing prompts from different social contexts and on sub topics such as history, memories, news, theatre, cinema, food and mythology, Butail drew responses from over 500 people, in 15 languages, over a nine month period. This investigation into the pluralities of experience and understanding has remained a constant in the artist’s work and in this exhibition is explored through the visualisation of mnemonic rhythms that are used to communicate ancient texts.

Through her studies Butail became increasingly aware of the instability of oral traditions and the misinterpretations and inconsistencies that are inherent in purely oral communication that is dependent on memory. In the major new work, An Opening Mind Butail has developed a personal interpretation of the complex visual patterns used to memorise and mentally store texts into patterns that are realised in wall based sculptural form. Each of the 115 elements is meticulously rendered in wood, paper, textile and ink and relates to a single page of text, their overall composition forming a form of code or score that relates to the ways in which those who share oral traditions may store and communicate knowledge. The materials chosen, handmade paper, wood and textile reflecting the ephemeral nature of the oral traditions. A more private space of contemplation is envisioned in the work Out of a Marvelous Transcendent Core, 2025. A triangular support painted in vivid blue and dissected with a simple white line speaks to the experience of meditation and of the possibilities available to us for creating a space of reflection and focus within an increasingly digital and dislocated world.

Astha Butail is an artist whose work seeks to transcend the boundaries of time, culture, and medium, offering a profound exploration of the human condition. Butail invites viewers to embark on a meditative journey, one that bridges the past and the present, the tangible and the intangible, and the individual and the universal. Her installations, which draw on ancient texts, oral traditions, and philosophical inquiry, create a space for contemplation and introspection, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and beliefs. Through her art, Butail seeks to bridge the gap between the sacred and the contemporary, offering a vision of a world that is rooted in wisdom, the celebration of diverse perspectives and compassion, aspirations that feel increasingly urgent in our violent and divided times.