In the 32nd issue of Spotlight, we explore how the basic human instinct to stay close to water has shaped Indian culture, art and history
Read more ...Gateways to India
The sea is witness to much that defines India and our port cities are the sentinels of change. Let’s travel to some old and new ports through the Sarmaya collection of maps and engravings and imagine them at the peak of their power
Read more ...River of Faith
Through the veins of a centuries-old textile art tradition flow the waters of a once-mighty river. Follow the journey of a Mata-ni-Pachedi painting as it takes birth on the banks of the Sabarmati
Read more ...Holy waters
Worshipping water – Faith & conservation in Indian culture
Collecting art & artefacts
Earth made flesh – The visceral art of Soghra Khurasani
Soghra Khurasani finely shaded woodcut prints and etchings reflect her evolving ideals and multiple identities as Muslim, feminist and mother
Read more ...“Beauty that unhinges you” – Inside Varunika Saraf’s brilliant art
Varunika Saraf’s paintings draw you in with their vibrant splashes of colour, only to unnerve you with the details veiled underneath. She speaks to Sarmaya about her process, politics and perennial love for the miniature art tradition
Read more ...Space Age: The celestial art of Desmond Lazaro
The art of Desmond Lazaro is a manifestation of his meticulous research in the fields of cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics, interpreted through the lens of the miniature art traditions he has imbibed
Read more ...‘India’s Maharajas, Beyond Dancing Girls & Elephants’ by Manu S Pillai
The Woman Who Ruled Cochin by Raghu and Pushpa Palat
Koh-e Asmai – The unspoken words of Havva
In this essay, Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai takes us into the beating heart of her art practice that carries the fragrance of Najibabad and Kabul, and the poetry of Rumi and Ghalib
Read more ...Wild Child: The world of Gond artist Japani Shyam
Taking forward her father’s shining legacy, Japani Shyam has developed her own voice, distinctive styles, point of view and stories to tell in the medium of Gond art
Read more ...Stretch of imagination: The rise of panoramic photography in India
Tracing the popularisation of the panorama in photography, from its invention by a painter to the pioneering work of Felice Beato
Read more ...Coins of Ancient India: A Sarmaya roundup
Our new numismatic acquisitions span the timeline between 200 BCE and 950 CE, representing a diversity of epochs in that millennium
Read more ...One tradition, many lives: The Indian miniature
We welcome some priceless miniature paintings into our collection, including the Mughal Hamzanama by exploring the many traditions of this practice in the Sarmaya collection
How to collect rare coins in India
Madhubani paintings: Hidden Dalit histories
Hailing from a family of pioneering Dalit artists, Urmila Devi and Shravan Paswan talk about their trials and triumphs in the world of Madhubani art
Read more ...This Just In
Why do we collect what we do? The inexorable pull of nostalgia. The simple human need to draw closer to beauty. The undeniable thrill of acquisition. All these influence the act of collecting. At our archive, each potential addition to the collection is judged by one other criteria: Can this object expand our understanding of the Indian subcontinent and its inexhaustible vault of stories?
Read more ...