"This was a result of my trip to Egypt. Hieroglyphics have a sense of mystery and aura to it," says Arshiya Lokhandwala, director, Lakereen, who has selected 13 artists for the show being exhibited in two parts.

Part 1 features works of C Douglas, Baiju Parthan, Atul Dodiya, N S Harsha, Bharati Kher, Krishnamachari Bose and Amitava Das. Part 2 will include the works of Jitish Kallat, Ashim Purkayastha, Surendran Nair, Bharati Kapadia, Indrapramit Roy and Jyotee.

The use of the cryptic originated in Egypt when graphics were used by artists to convey their thoughts. "The cryptic element is present in any good art. Otherwise it becomes very banal, remaining only on an illustrative level. Butthere are certain works here which are specifically thought out for this show and thus are difficult to understand," says Dodiya who has tried his hand at a different medium for this show.

He has used enamel paints on huge boards of laminates, giving an impression of signboards. While one lists a number of diseases, the other is a menu of things like dairy equipment and imitation jewellery.

In Five Drips from Vesuvius, among names of illnesses is the image of the late artist Girish Dahiwale listening on a huge bell, while bunches of grapes are strewn all around. "What is it? An echo, a sound, like a doctor listening with a stethoscope? Since it doesn't say anything specific, it seemed quite apt for a cryptogram show which uses images that tells you a lot and at the same time are not clear," says Dodiya.

Most of Baiju Parthan's work has dealt with the interface between science and religion, which are very diverse and yet have a common meeting ground. Trained in science and comparative mythology,Parthan is fascinated with the substitution of technology as a means of transcendence. Like people watching aarti at the Siddhivinayaka temple through the net! He uses a central image of a Laughing Buddha (common to both his paintings), and a lot of motifs -- squares, triangles and spiral which represent growth and nourishment.

"The real has been subverted over the unreal. Symbols are used to elaborate the fact that everything is measured in terms of competitions, and are linked together in terms of cause and effect," says Parthan.

The intention is for viewers to connect symbols in any order and arrive at their own meaning. But a total transparence of a painting is not possible and neither intended. "Because of our conditioning with text, we expect a linear reading of a painting which is not possible as a painting deals with the imagery. And imagery is always experienced intuitively," says Parthan.

So one has to spend a lot of time with the works and unearth the several layers within theworks.

Jitish Kallat, whose works usually speak a language of symbols, found it challenging to create something that used a lot of the cryptic because the theme demanded it. Uncles uses a camouflage of images of people coming toward you, with a side elevation of urban landscape and a gun-like form.

Leaving it open for interpretation as to whether they are migrants, soldiers or militants. While Exile is an ambiguous frozen figure - where one can't make out whether it's a male or a female, a statue or a human being.

Bharati Kher's set of luggage, painted on a camouflaged cloth, seen from different angles, is connected to an alarm clock ticking away on the floor --a portrayal of the series of bomb blasts. Her other work is a wooden temple placed on a high stool with a wooden doll passing off as a deity.

When one opens the drawer marked `OPEN', a pop song -- `The Macarena' -- fills the air, showing this general shift toward the West. While Amitava Das's paintings are very sensitive, withlayers of drawings using rice paper and mixed media on paper.

The show has also seen artists experimenting with new mediums. While Bharati Kapadia has used patravadi and bowls made of dry leaves used for serving food, Jitish has used a certain kind of metallic powder to give a luminous look to his painting Exile.

At Lakeeren Art Gallery, Vile Parle (W). Part 2 from Nov 2 till Dec 9. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.