Mining Mythology: The art of Rithika Merchant
The colours of Gond art, the figures of ancient Egypt and the stories of Greek mythology flower organically on her canvas and demand a closer re-reading
Contemporary Art
Mapping Mirages: The art of Saju Kunhan
Walking the path of the historian, archivist and craftsman, Saju Kunhan creates room for cultures, centuries and civilisations to constantly collide and create new meanings
Shifting Selves
Something beautiful and bizarre starts to happens when you place disparate works of art and history next to each other. Like a creeper putting out tendrils to investigate higher ground, these objects begin to reach out and whisper to each other. Connections crackles across mediums, styles and eras. Universal themes shine through like iridescent threads.… Read more »
Havva ki Nakahi
Havva ki Nakahi is part of a suite of seventeen works called Naguftaha – e – Hawwa (The unspoken words of Hawwa) that, in gallerist Mortimer Chatterjee’s words, “explores the relationship of Adam and Eve (Havva ) in the Islamic tradition and the ejection of Eve from heaven”. The work is a typical example of… Read more »
Untitled
Dhruvi Acharya’s paintings portray the urban woman. She creates a canvas that most often depicts a comic-like female figure in a visual world unique to each painting. In this world thoughts exist as real entities and human forms take on aspects of their emotional personalities. Often these figures are represented with blank expressions and blank… Read more »
The Interview Panel
‘The Interview Panel’ is a typical example of the works of Alexander Gorlizki and Riyaz Uddin; quirky and humorous. Here, the artists have worked over an unidentified painted photograph in miniature style. They toy with and expand the ideas of painted photography and miniature art. The compositions, colours and intricate patterns drawn on these family… Read more »
Gathering on a Family Farm
Quirky and humorous, ‘Gathering of a Family Farm’ is a work of artist Alexander Gorlizki with Riyaz Uddin. Here, the artists have painted over an unidentified family portrait in miniature style. They toy with and expand the ideas of painted photography and family portraiture. The painting makes use of a collage-like technique and at the… Read more »
Patang Mata ni Pachedi
This work illustrates the entire process of making the Mata ni Pachedi and the city of Ahmedabad by young artist Sumit Chitara (b.2004), son of National award winner Sanjay Chitara (b.1978). Mata-ni-pachedi is an artistic tradition practised by the Vaghris of Gujarat. It was a drought that brought the community to Khanpur in Ahmedabad… Read more »
Wild Things
Created using oil paint and 22 ¾ gold leaf on Gesso panels, Jethro Buck’s painting ‘Wild Things’ borrows and meshes together a potpourri of images from across the global landscape – from pastoral England to Mughal India. This miniature style painting teases a range of dynamic figures – animal and human – who go about… Read more »
A Mother’s Day Art Roundup
The bond between mother and child has been a uniquely potent theme for art around the world and across the ages. From Kitagawa Utamaro’s ‘Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child’ (1790) to Gustav Klimt’s ‘Hope II’ (1907-08), here are eight pieces to revisit in time for Mother’s Day.
Creation of Other
A lot of Pradeepkumar’s work deals with the subject matter of figures and their role in a world that was created for them. His art invites the viewer to lurk into this world of shrubbery and nature to try to understand its significance. His focus on native and rural aspects directly alludes to his identity… Read more »
Emergency Funds for the Arts
How can governments support the arts and cultures sectors from the economic damage caused by the global coronavirus pandemic? Germany and UK are among the earliest countries to have set forth examples, launching aid packages for both individuals and organizations during the arts and culture sector.
Art and Social Distancing
As a large portion of the world’s population takes up social distancing and self imposed quarantines to slow the spread of covid-19, here are fifteen artworks that may prove particularly relatable. From Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘Veronica Veronese’ (1872) to A$AP Rocky’s ‘Lab Rat ‘(2018), they explore themes of social isolation and loneliness, and capture the bleakness… Read more »
Biraaj Dodiya Debut
Experimenter Gallery in Kolkata is showcasing the debut solo exhibition of artist Biraaj Dodiya, titled ‘Stone is a forehead.’ The show – which takes its name from a poem, Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejías by Spanish poet Federico García Lorca – contains a series of paintings and sculptures and explores themes of personal memory, loss… Read more »
Mehlli Gobhai Retrospective
“Don’t Ask Me About Colour,” a retrospective of late abstractionist Mehlli Gobhai’s works will preview on 6 March 2020 at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai. Supported by Chemould Prescott Road, and curated by Ranjit Hoskote and Nancy Adajania, the show will feature over 200 of his artworks spanning over seven decades.
A Capital for African Art
Marrakech, which recently hosted the third edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair – one of the foremost global art fairs dedicated to African art – has been the subject of a lot of buzz lately. The city has seen openings of many premier art institutions dedicated to promoting contemporary African art and artists… Read more »
Twenty years of Tao
Mumbai’s Tao Gallery is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary by putting forth a special show starting the end of February 2020. Titled ‘A Tapestry of Time,’ the show will feature works by 66 artists including the likes of Brinda Miller, Atul Dodiya, Madhvi Parekh and Dhruvi Acharya. It will also cover a range of… Read more »
Anju Dodiya Returns to Chemould
Celebrated artist Anju Dodiya will be showcasing her recent works at Mumbai’s Chemould Prescott Road gallery on 29 February 2020. The show, titled “Breathing on Mirrors” features a rich collection of mixed-media drawings and will take place eight years since Dodiya’s last exhibit with the gallery.
The Wonderfully Weird World of Waswo X. Waswo
We discover the story behind his unusual name, the method behind those highly collaborative miniatures and the rest of one American’s unforgettable tryst with India
Art Jargon and What It Really Means
Using works from our modern and contemporary art collection, we decipher terms used very often by critics and art insiders