Existing at or from the beginning of time; primaeval.
‘Primordial’ is a word that is used usually in association with the ‘primordial soup’ in science and the ‘primordial ocean’ in mythology. Parvathi Nayar’s practice revolves around narratives of spatial relationships, of examining and contrasting the macro against the micro, revealing underly ing patterns of organic formations and geometry, beautifully rendered through her monochromatic graphite drawings. The ocean is one of those areas where science and mythology reach consensus, answering questions about the origins of life. Parvathi’s practice can be better understood as an inquiry into the nature of being, and that inquiry begins at its origin, the same as her practice: water. By focusing on the microscopic details, she invites the viewer to break our often myopic perception of the world and time. The body of work presented in The Primordial is a meditation on how intertwined the human tale is with the ocean, the salt in it, the pepper it carried from Muziris to Rome, how Muziris disappeared into it, and how Kochi was born out of it. The Primordial recognizes the organic patterns of existence, the material realities that built and destroyed empires, as reconciliation with our collective origin.
