Seeing India as ‘Divine Chaos’

Diane Kempler’s fascination with India finds expression in a compelling mix of ceramic sculptures, photography and floor drawings at Emory Visual Arts Gallery.

Of the country’s hold on her, one might say: It is written.

Clay, her medium, is still the stuff of ritual and even everyday objects. On her last visit, she lived in pottery villages and made the film being shown in an adjacent room.

Then, too, the Atlanta artist has long explored themes that reverberate through Hinduism: death and rebirth, transformation, and the interconnections between man and nature.

And, like many visitors, she is struck by the visual richness and the intertwining of the spiritual and daily life. What makes this installation so successful is her ability to distill her observations and affinities into language compatible with her own artistic vocabulary. This she accomplishes in moves both large and small.

Kempler suggests chance encounters with ubiquitous shrines with a seemingly solid sculpture that has an altar-like piece in a brilliant blue niche on the “back.”

The 1,000-plus photos pinned end to end on the back wall evoke both the sensory cacophony and the jumble of people, animals, temples and festivals she calls “divine chaos.”

The images are also clues to visual details that inspire her. For instance, the elaborate henna patterns painted on women’s hands embellish the surface of a goddess figure, whose voluptuous body suggests the erotic sculptures on the Khajuraho temples.

In these and other ways, Kempler ensures that the experiences that have affected her profoundly also affect us.

ART REVIEW

“Divine Chaos.”

Through April 24. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. Emory Visual Arts Gallery, 700 Peavine Creek Drive, Atlanta. 404-727-6315, www.visualarts.emory.edu

Artist talk: 7 p.m. April 16.

Bottom line: Diane Kempler channels her experiences in India in a stand-out exhibition.