Nature Morte is pleased to present a solo show of new works by the British-born, Mumbai-based artist Mark Prime.
Prime’s artworks appear to be strange hybrids of the past and the future. Constructed entirely of recycled and industrial materials, they mimic an architectural presence while also alluding to the myriad types of constructions that humans create.
The majority of the exhibition are what the artist refers to as his “House Paintings.” These replicate, in both materials and design, the walls of homes found in rural Maharashtra. Aggressive in their simplicity, each painting consists of two solid colors divided by a band of aluminum. An unlikely bridge is created between a history of minimal art in the Western World and the innocent expressions of the vernacular Indian populace.
A new series of photographic works are also included in the exhibition. These portray debris partially buried in the wet sand of the Maharashtra coast. While both elegant and macabre, they speak of environmental degradation but also nature’s strength to resist man’s blunders. Completing the exhibition are two sculptures that resemble rockets or lighting fixtures, electrified amalgamations of technical flotsam and jetsam.
Mark Prime was born in Norwich, UK, in 1963 and has lived in Mumbai since 2005. He held his first solo show with Nature Morte in Berlin in 2013 and had a solo show in Nature Morte’s Mumbai gallery in November 2024. He has also had solo exhibitions at Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai (2016, 2020); Vis-a-Vis, New Delhi (2018); and VHC Gallery, Pune (2023). Notable group presentations include the second edition of the Sculpture Park, Madhavendra Palace, Nahargarh Fort; ‘When is Space’ at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, 2018; and “In-Dialogue: Tradition and Transformation” at the Jaipur Center for Art, 2025. His work will be included in the upcoming edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale, curated by Nikhil Chopra and opening in December.