Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's 'Idols of Mud and Water' at Tramway

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's upcoming solo exhibition 'Idols of Mud and Water' at Glasgow's Tramway (24 November to 21 April) features a fountain, a makeshift house from recycled local materials, 100 small terracotta sculptures, and mist. The artist describes the installation as 'very dystopian.' A Frankensteinian lifesize bronze sculpture composed of parts from his past decade of work will be included. Nithiyendran's practice, rooted in ceramics and bronze, blends Gandhara sculpture (1st–3rd century CE, from present-day northwest Pakistan/northeast Afghanistan) with pop-cultural references like Takashi Murakami's Mr DOB, Paul McCarthy's 'Pig Island,' and South Asian traditions such as Mela gatherings and Hindu iconography. His work also resonates with Bharti Kher's 'Intermediaries' sculptures. Nithiyendran rejects binary identity narratives, focusing instead on parallel, autonomous narratives. He emphasizes intuition and emotion over cerebral planning. The exhibition explores movement and fluidity—of materials, cultures, and identities—using water as an expressive medium. Nithiyendran previously created 'The Cave' at Carriageworks for The National 2017, a carnivalesque totemic idol with neon lights and graffiti-covered plinths.