In Conversation with Prabhakar Pachpute: Mine

Join artist Prabhakar Pachpute in conversation with CCA's Public Engagement Curator Viviana Checchia.

Members of Prabhakar Pachpute's family have worked in the coal mines of Chandrapur, Central India, for three generations. Although Pachpute avoided working in the mines, he draws on its history in his practice. His meticulous drawings are executed in charcoal and use surrealist motifs to address issues of labour. He frequently draws directly onto walls and has created spectacular mural installations and immersive environments of wondrous landscapes and dreamlike figures.

Pachpute's practice considers actions before the mining, during the mining and after the mining, and reflects the resulting changes in the social and natural landscapes. This conversation will discuss the historical transformation of conditions of labour and land use explored in his work.