Pankaj Sarma is a contemporary artist based in Assam, whose work broadly explores ecology, landscape, memory, sustainability and human-animal conflict. Rooted in the fluvial landscapes of Assam and the riverine social and ecological shifts, his work critically explores the transformation of these terrains, their temporality and the spatial erosion within the paradigms of the Anthropocene. Central to his practice is how altered topographies impact the collective memory of a space, with a specific focus on the profound psychological distress, or solastalgia, engendered by the radical ecological shifts.
Having grown up in a riverine village, the Kaldiya river occupies a central position in Sarma’s mnemonic geography, standing as a witness to gradual, often imperceptible erosions. A formative period of return to his village after formal education, with extensive travel through the Brahmaputra Valley, profoundly shaped his methodological and material exploration. This facilitated an engagement not only with the geographical and ecological strata of the region but also with its complex social and temporal layers. The deeper engagements with the geographical space and communities influenced in making his practice expansive. Initially trained in painting, he recently started adopting site-specific and traditional materials to create immersive multimedia installations.
In recent projects, the artist documents the multifaceted changes within Assam's riverine landscapes as they correlate to conceptions of home and belonging. The work highlights how diverse riverine communities confront the loss of domicile and livelihood due to catastrophic flooding, erratic weather patterns, and state-led development projects such as large dams and embankments.
