Untitled: David Leitner

This artwork seeks to draw attention to the crisis of water shortage (and climate change) that has gripped not only Chennai but is also a rising concern all over the world. By showing a family in transit on the right side of the mural – mid-move amidst a drought, the artist reflects on the inevitability of large-scale migration should a situation so drastic arise. On the left side, David has created the portrait of a Tamil woman, who, with joined hands, can be inferred to be praying, symbolising hope for a still habitable future. The arrangement of pots in the bottom left corner – with some pots filled, some empty and some overflowing into the others is also a reflection, on the artist’s part, of the multiple avenues for sharing and cathartic exchange that open up in trying times.