Nep Sidhu

The possibility of spirituality without religion is a concept as elusive and rich as it is rare and desirable. Contemplating where to search for the divine is perhaps the easy part: knowing what to look for – and how to remain open to letting it in – are trickier to navigate. 

For those willing to embark on such a journey, Toronto artist Nep Sidhu’s astonishing solo exhibition, Divine of Form, Formed in the Divine (Medicine for a Nightmare), at the Esker Foundation in Calgary until Dec. 20, is worth a solid hour or two of your time. 

Two hours, I hear you exclaim. Well, for a start there’s no Coles Notes or other shortcut to enlightenment. And if you’ve ever done yoga, you know more really is more.

Consider Sidhu’s richly textured forms. The longer you let the colours and complex media bathe your senses, the more you can come to grips with what may seem a new, or at times unfamiliar, visual language. 

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Nep Sidhu, “Divine of Form, Formed in the Divine (Medicine for a Nightmare),” 2019

installation view at Esker Foundation, Calgary (photo by Aquiles Ascencion)

At the heart of this work is the nexus between materiality, belief systems and the value of form. Sidhu elegantly combines motifs relating to an array of cultures, most notably his Sikh heritage, creating sculptures, wearable art, mixed-media painting and enormous weavings.

A springboard for interpreting Medicine for a Nightmare is the full title’s commencement, Divine of Form. Perhaps the more oft-heard term is “devoid of form,” suggesting a wordplay that requires audiences to search for meaning.

One way to start is by unpacking the juxtapositions of traditional costumery and contemporary fashion, as well as custom sculptures with architectonic references, all of which feature repetitive icons across many works.

A notable example is the repeated inclusion of what resembles a kirpan, a small ceremonial blade and also a Sikh doctrine of dignity, grace and compassion. This form is variously presented as a metal adornment, an art multiple or a mobile shapeshifter set amidst luxuriant tapestries.

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Nep Sidhu, “Divine of Form, Formed in the Divine (Medicine for a Nightmare),” 2019

installation view at Esker Foundation, Calgary (photo by Allison Seto)

What makes these literal and conceptual warps and wefts so compelling (whether or not one has prior knowledge to gauge or interpret the forms on display) is that the lyrical patterns, iconography and palettes seem strangely familiar, offering quietude even when confronting the uncomfortable.

It’s unlikely this review and its accompanying images will convince readers how spirited this art is, let alone spur them to visit.

So, as a final pitch, imagine a small dark movie theatre, wider than it is deep, furnished only with bean bags the size of double beds. Playing is Black (W)hole, a 21-minute movie by Sidhu and American artist Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes. 

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Nep Sidhu and Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, “Black (W)hole” (still), 2019

(produced with support from the Esker Foundation Commission Fund)

These moving images do more than translate the forms and themes at play in the rest of the exhibition. A Siddhartha-esque narrative invites you to contemplate “the goals of parallel existence.” 

Who could resist aligning one’s self with beings that vibrate on a higher level? 

From here, it’s just a matter of space and time until you mull over the film’s question: “What else can I ask of you, the divine?”

And the response: “Just for your well-being … For every moment to be filled with bliss.” ■

Divine of Form, Formed in the Divine (Medicine for a Nightmare), is on view at Esker Foundation in Calgary from Sept. 28 to Dec. 20, 2019.

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