Tales of Good and Evil 2008

Nalini Malani has created 'Tales of Good and Evil', a set of images with dreamlike, nightmarish qualities. Each panel presents a tableau of figures and forms rendered in fluid washes of color, primarily earthy browns, reds, and yellows against a pale background. The compositions teeter between abstraction and figuration, their disorienting effect intensified by the semi-transparent layering of paint, which reveals the artist's hand. The biomorphic shapes and vaguely recognizable figures might be interpreted through a semiotic lens, where bodily forms act as signifiers of both corporeal existence and psychological states. This approach destabilizes our interpretation of what constitutes ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Malani's approach to form, which blends Eastern and Western art historical references, suggests a deliberate effort to question established art historical narratives, inviting us to consider the fluidity and instability inherent in cultural symbols and artistic expression.