In The Dappled Light
Our show in Mumbai explores the expansive role of India’s natural world on all human endeavours
Nature
Fantastic Beasts – Second Edition
For our 40th issue of Spotlight, we’re revisiting a theme we first explored back in 2019: the magnificent beasts who have charmed us with their form and spirit over the ages.
The Canopy
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 »
A Return to The Land – A history of Warli paintings
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
How to draw a tree like Sukhnandi Vyam
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
Untitled
The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an ink-on-paper work by artist Jangarh Singh Shyam (1962-2001). Gond is a celebrated, shared art tradition practised by the Gond-Pradhan community in India. It was first ‘discovered’ by Jagdish Swaminathan, searching for original artworks from Indian tribes in the 1970s. The search ended with him meeting the talented artist Jangarh Singh Shyam,… Read more »
The Splendour of The Forest by Pavitra Rajaram
In this talk, Sarmaya Brand Custodian Pavitra Rajaram examines the tensions between the eastern and western perspectives on nature.
‘By saving our tigers, we saved our rivers too’
Did you know that most of India’s rivers originate in forests? To understand this invisible connection, we interviewed conservationist, naturalist, wildlife photographer and President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, Dr Anish Andheria
The River Flows In Me (Ennilekku Ozhukunna Nadi)
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 both nurture and destroy. The work moves beyond notions of the scenic and picturesque… 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
Anju Acharya and the circle of life
Artist Anju Acharya’s gaze may seem coolly observational at first, but it is in fact informed by deep wells of emotion and sensitivity towards her environment
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 »
Madhubani or Mithila Painting
Colourful creepers of Madhubani painting snake all over the state of Bihar, intertwined with the cultural identity of the state. This art reveals so much about the spiritual anchors and domestic rhythms of the people of the historic region of Mithila. But to get under the skin of it, it helps to understand a little about… Read more »
Ulterior Motifs – Icons & Symbols That Define Madhubani Art
A brief look at the techniques, symbols and themes to which Madhubani artists return again and again for sustenance and grounding. These are the artistic and spiritual leitmotifs of Madhubani paintings