Earlier this month, Ali Adil Khan invited me to the
inaugural of an exhibition of the works of Youngo Verma (1938-2015). The
exhibition Kundalini Union of the Divine is at the Art Gallery of Mississauga. In Canada, Youngo Verma remains largely
unknown except amongst the South Asian community in the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA). Ali and Deepali Dewan of the Royal Ontario Museum have played an
important role in getting recognition for Yongo’s art.
(For earlier
coverage on Youngo Verma in GAB, click here: Youngo
Verma).
Ali, who is an art writer, in addition to be a curator, says
in his introduction to the artist, “Youngo lived and worked in solitude in his
Mississauga studio for over 30 years, creating a large body of work that
examines and explores the notion of Tantra and its connection to Cosmic Energy.”
About the exhibition, he says, “Kundalini: The Union of the Divine presents
three distinct and important periods and genres of Youngo’s art. His early
figurative drawings completed in Germany in the 1970s that remained with him
until his death and have never been shown before. These remarkably innovative
drawings explore the notion of duality, as it depicts alien human figures,
grounded yet having wings, with vibrant forms of energy emanating from them.”
For the uninitiated yet interested, let me quote Jan Solis
on Kundalini. Solis is an author who has written extensively about ancient
Hindu practices. She says, “Kundalini refers to that dimension of energy within
a human being that is yet to realize its potential. It is a yoga practice and
those familiar with it characterize it as the energy that resides at the base
of the spine, coiled like a snake and summoned to rise through the chakras to
the crown chakra at the top of the head.
Kundalini yoga teachings have been influenced by Shakti and
Tantra. Awakening of the kundalini energy is accomplished through regular
performances of meditation, chanting mantra, pranayama (control over breath or
life force), and yoga asana. Part of the purpose of kundalini practice is to
raise your own level of awareness of your entire body. Among the many benefits,
kundalini yoga is said to free us from our karma and to help us gain an
understanding of our life’s purpose (dharma).”
Youngo’s work has gone through several phases, and the most
evocative phase was about 15 years before his death, when he began drawing on
graphite paper organic abstract forms representing cosmic energy. The most
impressive of these geometric shapes depict Shakti, the female form. Often, there
is little to differentiate between two drawings, but that miniscule variance is
critical.
A pleasant surprise that evening was an impromptu dance performance by artist Asma Mahmood.
Images: http://artgalleryofmississauga.com/YoungoVerma_web.pdf
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