This composition is a 23 carat gold on paper titled ‘The Canopy’ by Jethro Buck (b. 1986). Jethro Buck attempts to draw our attention away from ourselves and into a contemplation of treetops and the limitless space beyond. Through the canopy, we get a glimpse at the profound infinity of the universe. To the artist,… Read more »
This Warli artwork titled ‘Kansari’ is by Tushar Vayeda (b.1987) and Mayur Vayeda (b.1992), artists based in Ganjad, Maharashtra. The Warli way of life is the way of the forest. The spirits worshipped by the tribe are personifications of natural phenomena. One such spirit is the subject of Tushar and Mayur Vayeda’s painting, Kansari, named… Read more »
This Warli artwork titled ‘The Wave’ is by Tushar Vayeda (b.1987) and Mayur Vayeda (b.1992), artists based in Ganjad, Maharashtra. Tushar and Mayur Vayeda retell a Warli legend in this work. There’s a belief in the community that in each life cycle of the earth, waves of natural and man-made disasters will strike until eventually,… Read more »
This composition is a 2018 ‘Untitled’ work in gouache on Japanese paper by Dibin K. Thilakan (b. 1989). Created after the catastrophic 2018 Kerala floods, Dibin Thilakan’s painting obscures boundaries between land and water. The floods caused widespread displacement and damage across the state. While he highlights the helplessness of the average citizen awaiting relief… Read more »
This composition is an Untitled work by Gopa Trivedi (b. 1987) made from gold and graphite on wasli. Gopa Trivedi’s work illuminates our individual and collective anxieties about a slow degradation eating at the ground beneath our feet. The stork in this composition symbolises apathy. Gopa is inspired by Indian miniature painting traditions to create… Read more »
This woodcut print by Chandan Bez Baruah (b. 1979) is titled ‘Somewhere in Northeast India Pt-I’ and was created in 2020. The desolation of Chandan Bez Baruah’s landscape speaks volumes. It bears witness to an ecosystem brutalised by rampant urbanisation. To the artist, there’s a close link between the collapsing of natural and political diversities… Read more »
This work from the series ‘Unborn’ by Anju Acharya (b.1992) illustrates a realistically rendered fish on rice paper. The fish appears to be preparing to give birth. The overarching themes in Acharya’s series ‘Unborn’ are birth, death, and decay. She draws on her personal pregnancy experience. She considers how this connects her to all the… Read more »
This work from the series Unborn by Anju Acharya (b.1992), illustrates a realistically rendered skeleton of a fish. Birth, says Acharya, can only be comprehended entirely when viewed in the context of death. All in between is the process of deterioration. In this piece, she portrays how changes in nature impact the body of living… Read more »
This mixed media work by Pradeepkumar charts a landscape in portrait format with a river descending the centre of the picture. Pradeepkumar KP (b. 1970) weaves a narrative centred around the water body to reiterate its power, stillness and ability to destroy and flourish. The work moves beyond notions of the scenic and picturesque to… Read more »
Din ne jab dhoop kou siyaahi mein badalte dekha is part of a suite of seventeen works called Naguftaha – e – Hawwa (The unspoken words of Hawwa) created by Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai (b.1988). The Koh-e Asmaai (mountain of Goddess Asmai) in front of the artist’s apartment in Kabul served as the inspiration for this work. To… Read more »
Exploring the cultural and spiritual significance of water in India and around the world
Sarmaya Founder Paul Abraham and Brand Custodian Pavitra Rajaram acquire objects to continually enrich our museum’s collection. In this Guide, they share some great advice with young collectors on how to engage meaningfully with the art and culture of India
This artwork titled ‘Shadows under my sky – 4’ is a woodblock created by Soghra Khurasani (b. 1983), contemporary artist based in Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat. Landscapes are a significant feature in Soghra Khurasani’s work as inspiring, open spaces that can be explored. This woodblock was part of Khurasani’s solo show, Shadows under my sky, at… Read more »
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
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
This Untitled work is part of a series showcasing Horizon lines by artist Aditi Singh (b.1976), made using Ink on Washi Paper in 2020. The work showcases the horizon line of a city, which Singh explored by walking. The artist took meditative walks in Nepal, Sierra Nevada, the lake district of the UK, and more… Read more »
This Untitled work is part of a series showcasing Horizon lines by artist Aditi Singh (b. 1976), made using ink on Washi Paper in 2015. The work is the artist’s interpretation of the horizon line of Turkey. It has emerged from a long and deep reflection on the natural world and the artist’s imagination. It… Read more »
This Untitled work is part of a series showcasing Horizon lines by artist Aditi Singh (b. 1976), made using Ink on Kozo Paper in 2016. The work is the artist’s interpretation of the horizon line of Delhi and is a product of ‘meditative walking’ by the artist. For Singh, walking in different places worldwide brought… Read more »
“Cloud over the landscape” is a deep engagement with the subjectivity of maps and their inherent function as history-making devices.Using interventions like painting, erasing and burning the photographic image before it is transferred onto wood, artist Saju Kunhan creates room for accidents, mistranslations and loss of information. In elaborating on his method in the catalogue… Read more »
Artist Shailee Mehta conducted a fun virtual workshop for children ages 9 to 14 inspired by the themes of Sarmaya’s Mumbai show, ‘Shifting Selves’