Untitled by Linesh Desai

An original photograph by Linesh Desai.

Linesh Desai’s photograph of a paintbrush, captured in a moody greyscale, takes a simple, discarded object and elevates it to something almost sacred. It’s not just a brush; it’s a weathered survivor—a relic of artistic labor that holds the weight of countless creations. Desai’s lens turns this everyday tool into an icon of the artist’s unspoken struggle, each detail framed in the subdued, textured tones of greyscale film.

The bristles, ragged and splayed, stand as silent witnesses to the brush’s past life, embedded with dried paint, mistakes, and moments of brilliance. The handle, scarred and misshapen, tells a story of persistence. The choice of greyscale too, is no accident—it gives the image a melancholic, almost ghostly quality, where every shade whispers of exhaustion and resilience.

This artwork was exhibited at Method Kala Ghoda in the group exhibition "Portrait of a Time" (September 2024).