In an era where a banana duct-taped to a wall can fetch millions and spark global debates, it’s easy to get lost in the Disneyland spectacle of art fairs. But amid the so-called uber-cool avant-garde provocations, there still remains a timeless allure in art that honours traditional craftsmanship and beauty.
As a devotee at the altar of aesthetics, curating a selection that bridges the somewhat audacious with the exquisite is a tough ask. And seeking freshness doesn’t mean abandoning the known, rather it’s about rediscovering voices that have always been ahead of their times. Artists such as Gogi Saroj Pal, Atul Dodiya, and Rekha Rodwittiya bring a richness that remains strikingly relevant while newer names push boundaries, offering the urgent and the unexpected.
Embroidery, in particular, is the new trick in town. It has come to mirror a photographic language, capturing stories, emotions, and textures with an intimacy that paint and pixels often fail to hold. But works that can’t stand on their own two legs and have to be propped up by obtuse curatorial notes leave me cold. Good art should speak and evoke all on its own, without needing an essay as justification.
Most art transacted at art fairs is essentially about adding a decorative element that inspires and elevates living spaces. But occasionally, some art also has the ability to influence social discourse. Sadly, such art is always missing at the India Art Fair.
Here are some works that are worthy of your attention and maybe the elusive second look:
1. Hathyogini-Kali by Gogi Saroj Pal
This sculptural work by Gogi Saroj Pal, on display at the Delhi Art Gallery, delves into themes of feminity and mythology. Her work often reimagines traditional female figures, challenging societal norms and celebrating women’s strength and agency. This particularly striking work, painted in bright polyurethane colours, features bold postures that also represent yogic exercise.
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2. Krishna and the Gopis by MV Dhurandhar
MV Dhurandhar’s vivid portrayal of Krishna surrounded by gopis has resonated in the Indian collective consciousness for ages. On display at the Delhi Art Gallery, Krishna and the Gopis showcases his blending of mythological themes with Western techniques—the feature that made him a pioneer in 20th-century Indian art.
3. Asareeri by Boito
Supported by the Devi Art Foundation, Boito’s installation features a mythical creature of massive proportion that offers a delightful mingling of different traditional art forms. The structure, composed on a towering wireframe on a cane base, incorporates myriad crafts and textiles including metal casting, handlooms, papier-mâché, coir craft, and filigree work.
4. Erica’s Afternoon by Atul Dodiya
On display at Chemould Gallery, Atul Dodiya’s artwork depicts Nova Pilbeam as Erica Burgoyne in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1937 film Young and Innocent. While nostalgic tributes to cinema are nothing new to Dodiya, he chooses a Western film in this piece. He adds a blur effect and borrows from the technique of old hand-painted photographs to achieve the nostalgic angst of the times bygone.
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5. Embroidered Works by Rekha Rodwittiya
Known for her figurative paintings and delightful visual poetry, Rekha Rodwittiya uses vibrant Indian embroidery this time. Using surface embellishments, she creates a multi-layered collage. On display at Sakshi Gallery, the artwork presents a poetic story. The fluid forms are a testament to Rodwittiya’s impeccable craft.
6. Dual Dialogues by Dilip Chobisa
Dilip Chobisa’s minimalist graphic construct, as seen in the pieces displayed at Gallery Espace, is inimitable. Using pastels, he uses the play of light to explore the possibilities that lie in endless hallways—beyond defined surfaces.
7. In Search of Invisible an Elephant by Manjunath Kamath
One of the most innovative and versatile contemporary artists, Manjunath Kamath dabbles in painting, terracotta sculpture, drawing, digital collage, and animation. In Search of an Invisible Elephant, on display at Gallery Espace, reflects his increasing fascination with time and its effect on material culture. His artistic process is fascinating—applying colour and then scraping or rubbing it off, layer after layer.
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8. Dendritic Data by Arpita Akhanda
On display at the Emami Art Gallery, this piece takes inspiration from temple iconography. It is rooted in the dendritic patterns found in the granite mines in Hampi. Arpita Akhanda uses weaving and archival print techniques, dividing the piece into three segments that symbolise a woven passage through time.
9. Time Space and Speech by Dinar Sultana
Dinar Sultana’s craft combines everyday materials with those associated with ritual and history. The piece, on display at Iram Art Gallery, reveals a play of absurdity. Sultana uses terracotta moulds, cotton pulp, human hair, snakeskin, and a slew of other discarded ephemerals to create a regenerative work of art.
10. One and Three Carpets by Rashid Rana
This debut exhibition at the Aspura – Gallery of Collectible Carpets is a solo project that establishes Rashid Rana as one of Southeast Asia’s leading artists. The work, inspired by an antique Kashan rug, is a triptych connecting thousands of highly pixelated images of antique carpets in a photomosaic, giving it the illusion of one.
Rohit Chawla is an acclaimed photographer and artist. He is on Instagram @rohitchawlaphotography_. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)