Untitled

Artist: Piraji Sagara
Medium: Wood Collage
Size: 39 × 31 inches (99.06 × 78.74 cm)
Year: 1986

This striking mixed-media panel by Piraji Sagara is a compelling example of his signature approach to material, form, and symbolic imagery. Executed in wood collage, the large-scale artwork features two prominently stylized faces carved into a richly grained dark brown wooden surface. The faces are rendered in a way that fuses abstraction with folk-art aesthetics, linear yet expressive, and deeply rooted in both traditional Indian craftsmanship and modernist sensibilities.

Each face is defined within its own framed section, yet their interaction suggests a layered or dialogic relationship. The faces overlap subtly, their forms merging and diverging in a rhythm that evokes connection, conversation, or perhaps duality. The contours are incised directly into the wood, creating sculptural depth and a tactile surface that engages both sight and touch. These carved lines define the facial features and also serve as natural borders between differently colored inlay materials, giving the piece the appearance of a stained-glass composition rendered in wood.  

Sections of the faces are inlaid with vibrant color, burnt orange, deep blue, teal green, and yellow, adding dimension and vitality. These hues are carefully chosen and positioned to enhance the facial expressions and emotional tone of the work. The luminous quality of the color elements contrasts with the earthy texture of the wood, highlighting Sagara’s ability to create harmony through contrasting media.

Toward the lower right corner, a carved hand emerges, a symbolic gesture that invites interpretation. It may suggest human agency, communication, or spiritual invocation. Like the faces, it is not entirely literal, but stylized in a way that enriches the work’s enigmatic presence. The natural wood grain is visible throughout the composition, reinforcing the organic unity of the artwork. Rather than obscuring the material, Sagara emphasizes its raw beauty, allowing the medium to inform the message. The work can be read as a carved relief sculpture, but also resonates as a modern icon, bridging the sacred and the secular, the personal and the universal. This piece reflects Piraji Sagara’s deep engagement with materiality, symbolism, and cultural resonance. It exemplifies his commitment to transforming traditional craftsmanship into contemporary visual language, offering a rich, contemplative experience for the viewer.