The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an acrylic on paper work, made by artist Sukhnandi Vyam (b. 1983) To see the world as it really is, our eyes must first be ‘awakened’ to enlightenment. Sukhnandi Vyam explores this idea using his signature motif of human eyes, which surround the omniscient third eye of Lord Shiva. In the… Read more »
Walk through the lanes of British-era Chennai with historian Sriram V and rare photographs from the Sarmaya collection
In November 2022, Sarmaya collaborated with Ojas Art to present our first exhibition in Delhi. In the 34th edition of our digital magazine, Spotlight, we examine some environmental, cultural and artistic themes from the show.
Nourished for millennia by the infinite variety of nature and its boundless capacity for renewal, artists today show us how to forge a more equitable connection with the earth
In conversation with Anubhav Nath, founder of Ojas Art, on the collaboration with Sarmaya and the vitality of indigenous art
How did the art of a people from the Sahyadri mountains of western India capture the imagination of the nation and the world? The evolution of Warli paintings from Jivya Soma Mashe to the Vayeda Brothers
A member of the Gond-Pardhan community, Sukhnandi Vyam considers his art as an expression of the tribe’s identity and spiritual connection with nature
Drawing from the practices of Rajasthani miniature painting and printmaking, Gopa Trivedi turns abstract concepts—time, decay, renewal—into provocative, fragmented frames
Through this series of woodcut prints, Chandan Benz Baruah looks back at the forests of his childhood with love for what they gave him and rage for what’s being taken from them
Highlights from our two-week exhibition at Ojas Art, Delhi, which showcased the works of 20 artists from the Sarmaya collection
Within the mythology of the Mother Goddess there exists a duality. Just as her benevolent aspects are depicted in many forms, here are some of her fiercest and most terrifying forms
As a Chennai-based heritage activist and historian, Sriram V knows the city better than most and shares his delightful insights in this lecture
A sensorial account of Kalamkari textiles, the masterfully crafted and brilliantly dyed cottons of southeastern India
Among the Dalits and Bahujans of South India, the seven sister-goddesses are revered as protectors of the land and preservers of its people. Meet the gramadevatalu of Telangana
As the festive season draws near, we get to know some of the great goddesses of our culture in the 33rd issue of Sarmaya Spotlight
The road to learning—and earning—is guided by these benevolent goddesses
The devis, matas, ammas and other female divinities who have been called upon, time and time again, to save humanity from disease, death and its own hubris
She predates language, defies borders and annihilates evil. Dhartari, Durga, Lakshmi, Mariamman–meet the mother goddesses of India
This photograph of the Nautch Bungalow at the Shalimar garden in Kashmir was taken by Burke and Baker in the late 19th century. Mughal king, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) built the Nautch Bungalow for his beloved wife Nur Jahan in 1616. The garden is one of the few surviving Mughal gardens, based on the Persian ‘charbagh’ style. To… Read more »
This undated work is a still life painting by K H Ara (1914-1985). His artistic expressions were characterised by robust nudes and still lifes, marked by a life-affirming positivity and zeal. He was a self-taught artist who ran away from home to pursue his artistic career in Bombay. Born in 1913 in Andhra Pradesh, KH… Read more »