Alex Davis’ Gulmohar reminder

The sculptor ensures his reaction to the lockdowns will bloom forever

This season, you’ll see his work alongside that of 269 other artists at the ongoing Lokame Tharavadu art show in Kerala’s Alappuzha. But sculptor Alex Davis has another pleasant surprise — the Gulmohar bloom. Wrought in colour-stained stainless steel under a protective coating, the lines of this sculpture belie the sturdiness of the medium. The 4ft flower “was a reaction to pandemic blues and the lockdown,” begins the Delhi-based artist.

Many know him as a pioneer in turning industrial steel sheets into sculptures. “The random orange-red of these seasonal flowers peppering the parks and rather empty roadsides were indeed a treat to one’s eyes as much as the soul! Trees laden with these flowers almost look like they are on fire. I have translated that exact mood into a different medium and scale to give it presence,” he continues.