The four chimpanzees share the same space, but they do not share the same attention. Each is immersed in its own awareness—one confronts the viewer, another drifts inward, one becomes absorbed by the fly, while another appears untouched by it all. They are together, yet profoundly alone in what they perceive.
The fly is almost invisible, yet it quietly alters the balance of the painting. It does not ask to be noticed; it simply exists. In doing so, it exposes something deeply human—that significance is rarely measured by size, but by the attention we choose to give it.
The empty orange expanse is intentional. It removes every unnecessary distraction, allowing silence to become part of the work. Within that silence, the viewer becomes the fifth witness, completing the painting through their own act of observation.
Artwork by Dr. Mayera Suman
Born in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and based in Kochi, Kerala, Dr Mayera Suman is a contemporary artist working primarily through painting, she uses monochromatic animal forms, luminous grounds, scale, contrast, and negative space to create visually restrained yet conceptually layered compositions. Her ongoing series The Fly examines visual hierarchy and how the overlooked can become significant. Her work has been exhibited widely across India, including Jehangir Art Gallery, ICCR, India Habitat Centre, and the State Gallery of Art, Hyderabad.
Her work has received recognition through a Scroll of Honour from the Governor of West Bengal.