2AB
Abhinav Abraham

” The hammer’s path is determined by what will be and not what was.”

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I made this piece as a reminder to myself that- ‘One must reflect on the past and don’t let it hold onto you. One’s actions are concrete and can’t be reversed. The stone fractures when the hammer strikes the chisel, but no matter how many times the hammer is used, the stone will not regrow. Reflecting on the past is important, but you shouldn't let it control your reality.’ 

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The artwork depicts a sculptor working on a self-portrait, chiselling away on a stone sculpture. The sculptor subconsciously ends up making himself as a kid. The kid statue, a nod to the well-known sculpture- 'Boy with Thorn', is the self-reflection of the sculptor as he sees himself. The artwork shows the moment of realisation of the sculptor, as he realises that all along, he had been held back by his past. The four other men in the artwork are personifications of the sculptor's thoughts. The two contradicting men pointing up and down, one on his knee asking the sculptor to give up and take a break and one quietly holding up the mirror.

 

This artwork also showcases a bunch of my other artworks and memories from my personal life in the form of individual elements in the room. I too, like the sculptor, often get stuck with my past and sometimes find it hard to persevere and move forward. This was my motivation to make this piece, as a self-reminder to look at my past and just reflect on it in hopes of a better future.

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84cm x 59cm

Charcoal