As Abu Dhabi Art opens to the public today, UAE social enterprise 81 Designs that works Palestinian refugee women artisans and Lebanese designer Nada Debs unveil a new collaborative collection at Manarat Al Saadiyat…reports Asian Lite News
The collection titled ‘On Belonging’ is a culmination of a six-month project inspired by Palestinian artist Nabil Anani’s ‘In Pursuit of Utopia’ which is a picturesque portrayal of his imagined homeland envisioned as one immaculate landscape, without division or disruptions. Reimagined by Nada Debs and her brand ethos that follow the ‘handmade and heartmade’ tag line, this collection features seven crafted pebble chairs and straw lamps, handstitched and signed by the refugee artisans employed by 81 Designs, and created by pushing the boundaries of craft, geography, art and community for a deeper sense of connection and compassion tied to homeland and history. As an ode to the Golden Jubilee of the UAE, the seven pieces represent the seven emirates, while the craft revives a sense of belonging connected to the culture of Lebanon and the art pays homage to the land of Palestine.
‘On Belonging’ at Abu Dhabi Art 2021
Bringing together artists and artisans, creators and designers, to weave together design, craft, art and culture by revolutionizing the use of traditional embroidery Tatreez, Nesrine El-Tibi Maalouf, Co-founder of 81 Designs, said: “Since 81 Designs workshop is located inside the Ain El Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, the team of artisan women faced major challenges stemming from the country’s grave economic crisis, with power cuts, water and petrol shortages, not to mention the camp security restrictions, and ongoing COVID health pandemic. We are very proud of what these ladies have achieved.”
Despite the challenges faced by the team of artisans within the 81 Designs workshop located in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, this collaboration was possible due to the resilience of the women behind the work and is a testament of their commitment to tradition and craft.
Nesrine El-Tibi Maalouf, 81 Designs co-founder
Nadine Maalouf, Co-founder of 81 Designs says: “Our mission is to narrate the artistic tale of old traditions. Our collaborations allow us to empower the refugee artisans we employ by providing them with sustainable jobs. Our collaboration with Nada Debs reflects a strong sense of community and the fusion between craft and design.”
As a true craft-custodian and educator, Nada Debs’ vision for new-materialism comes to life through the design process and creative collaboration which weaves emotion into furniture and design by adding depth to traditional Palestinian cross-stitching. “My work is about identity, restoring and elevating traditional craft and instilling a sense of belonging. By revisiting roots and working with refugee artisans, this project was an infusion of identities and a heartfelt dialogue conveyed via craft, relaying messages of hope and freedom, dignity and identity,” says Nada Debs.
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The ‘On Belonging’ collection is available for purchase at Abu Dhabi Art 2021 which runs until Nov 21. For more information, contact: Info@81Designsme.com and visit www.81designsme.com.
The First Book (Fiction) Shortlist include ‘A Bit of Everything’ by Sandeep Raina (Westland), ‘A Death in Shonagachhi’ by Rijula Das (Pan MacMillan) and ‘Gods and Ends’ by Lindsay Pereira (Penguin Random House)…reports Asian Lite News.
The shortlists for the Tata Literature Live! Literary Awards were announced Thursday. The winners are traditionally announced at the closing session of the Festival. Since the Festival is online again this year due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the awards ceremony will be streamed on Sunday (November 21).
In the fiction category, the shortlisted titles include ‘Asoca: A Sutra’ by Irwin Allan Sealy (Penguin Random House), ‘China Room’ by Sunjeev Sahota (Penguin Random House) and ‘Names of the Women’ by Jeet Thayil (Penguin Random House).
In the non-fiction category, ‘Born a Muslim: Some Truths About Islam in India’ by Ghazala Wahab (Aleph), ‘The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move’ by Sonia Shah (Bloomsbury) and ‘Undercover: My Journey into the Darkness of Hindutva’ by Ashish Khetan (Westland) have been shortlisted.
The First Book (Fiction) Shortlist include ‘A Bit of Everything’ by Sandeep Raina (Westland), ‘A Death in Shonagachhi’ by Rijula Das (Pan MacMillan) and ‘Gods and Ends’ by Lindsay Pereira (Penguin Random House).
The First Book (Non-Fiction) Shortlist include ‘Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health: The Human Cost of Air Pollution and How You Can Be the Change’ by Jyoti Pande Lavakare (Hachette), ‘It’s All In Your Head, M’ by Manjiri Indurkar (Westland) And ‘Landscapes of Loss: The Story of an Indian Drought’ by Kavitha Iyer (HarperCollins)
In the Business Book of the Year category, ‘Fossil Free: Reimagining Clean Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World’ by Sumant Sinha (HarperCollins), ‘Pandemonium: The Great Indian Banking Tragedy’ by Tamal Bandyopadhyay (Roli Books) and ‘Spring: Bouncing Back From Rejection’ by Ambi Parameswaran (Westland) have been shortlisted.
Competing for a reward ofRs five, three and two lakhs, the participatingtribal groups exhibited the best of the culture through dance performances on wedding ceremonies, traditional festivals, and rituals, social dances like harvest dance, among others…reports Asian Lite News.
India’s tribal culture came to life as the second edition of the National Tribal Dance Festival was inaugurated at the Science College Ground, Raipur, by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in presence of the Chief Guest Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Chief Minister; Tamradhwaj Sahu, Chhattisgarh Tourism Minister; Amarjeet Bhagat, Chhattisgarh Culture Minister and other dignitaries.
An initiative of the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board under the tourism development plans of the state government, the inaugural day witnessed participation of tribal dance groups from various states and Union Territories of India and international participation from Nigeria, Palestine, Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Uzbekistan and Mali portraying and celebrating their respective tribal folk culture.
The festival began with a procession of all tribal groups in traditional outfits through the venue. Tribal dance forms from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Assam, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir showcased the vibrant and diverse culture of India.
Competing for a reward of Rs five, three and two lakh, the participating tribal groups exhibited the best of the culture through dance performances on wedding ceremonies, traditional festivals, and rituals, social dances like harvest dance, among others.
The dance forms in the wedding ceremony category featured Gour Sing from Chhattisgarh, Karma from Madhya Pradesh, Dhimsa from Andhra Pradesh, Gojari from Jammu & Kashmir, Kadsa from Jharkhand, Guryaballu from Andhra Pradesh, among others.
The dance forms in the category of traditional festivals and rituals featured Karma from Chhattisgarh, Gussadi Dhimsa from Telangana, Urav from Jharkhand, Sidi Goma from Gujarat.
International participation featured dance groups from the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Nigeria, Mali, Palestine and Uzbekistan who introduced the audiences to their respective cultures through their high-energy dance forms.
The Tribal conclave, an important component of the festival is a confluence of experts, scholars and practitioners to explore new ideas that can create opportunities for the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh. The first day of the conclave delved into topics from responsible tourism to tribal art and craft, and the market to popularizing local cuisine and wellness.
In the panel discussion ‘Responsible Tourism in the Post-Covid World’, Yashwant Kumar, Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board; Jeet Singh Arya, Founder of travel start-up ‘Unexplored Bastar’; Sunny and Deeptie Raj, owners of the eco-resort Bhoramdeo Jungle Retreat and Anjuna Dhir, Executive Director, The Responsible Tourism Society of India, moderated by Yasmin Kidwai, Festival Curator and Event Director highlighted on the need to create valuable experiences for domestic tourists and the importance of making tourism sustainable by involving local communities.
Tribal art and crafts and the market talked about the need for revival and preservation of traditional crafts. Panelists Ayush Shrivastav and Gaurav Kushwaha, Founders of Lokabazar.in Bastar’s first handicraft e-commerce start-up; Rashmi Dhanwani, Founder of Art X Company; Chaitsi Ahuja, Founder of Brown Living and Asif Khan, Founder of Nature Escape, discussed how digital platforms can be combined with traditional crafts to create opportunities for artisans to explore new markets.
Food is an important way of retaining a cultural identity. In the panel ‘Popularizing Local Cuisine’ Manish Mehrotra, the Celebrity Chef of the renowned restaurant Indian Accent; Anoothi Vishal, Culinary Historian, Author, and Curator; Prateek Sadhu, Executive Chef and Co-owner of Mumbai-based restaurant Masque and Raziya Shaikh, Director of Bastar Foods talked about the ways in which local cuisine can be highlighted to enhance the tourist experience. This engaging discussion delved into the avenues that can be created to popularize the cuisine of Chhattisgarh and encourage food entrepreneurs.
Fascinated by the Bhil tribe during his journeys to Rajasthan, the artist discovered many lotus ponds which he continued to visit for decades and paint. Now only one or two have remained while the others have been converted into bathing ghats…writes Sukant Deepak.
He has been sketching and drawing all his life, picking up notes from around him, working and re- working on these forms to integrate them into his personal style and using them as his reference points for paintings and sculptures.
From the large body of A. Ramachandran drawings and sketches, Vadehra Art Gallery in the capital selected works from 1965 to the present day for the exhibition ‘A Lifetime of Lines’. “They are testimonies of how I think, talk to myself and express different emotions according to different subjects. I consider my drawings as my conversational language and not the more restrained and disciplined language of my paintings and sculptures,” said major contemporary artist A. Ramachandran.
Recipient of the Padma Bhushan honour, Ramachandran, who started his career with realism, which reflected the angst of urban life, but shifted to myths in the 80’s admits, “While in my early days, I was influenced by the Mexican artists whose works I felt were closer to ours than other European artists, there was also a realisation that myth was a part of collective consciousness of the people which could be effectively used to interpret one’s world without imitating any artist. My ‘Yayati’, the monumental work I did for Ebrahim Alkazi is one of the finest examples of that,” said the artist who did his doctoral thesis on Kerala mural painting.
Stressing that his education at Santiniketan has been instrumental in shaping him in multiple ways, and ‘A Lifetime of Lines’ is a testimony to that, the artist, who designed the granite bas-relief sculpture at the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai which extends for 125 feet and has a height of nearly 20 feet remembers that right from the first year, students are asked to go out and study from nature and the sketching process is much different from western traditions.
“Nandalal developed a concept of structural drawings. Benode Behari and Ramkinkar developed that further. Unlike in the western tradition, students at Santiniketan are encouraged to look at the structure of an object rather than the externals. Everything in nature is in fact based on this principle. From the main stem, the number of veins that spread out decides the shape of the leaf. It can be one central vein which makes an oval shape or three veins of a leaf bifurcate like a leaf of a cotton plant. In short, the external shape depends on the structure of the vein of the leaf. Same is with the human body. The skeletal system determines the shape of human beings, animals or birds. These understandings give you a complete knowledge of structure rather than the external skin surface. This is the most important lesson I learnt from Santiniketan which I use as the grammar of my art practice.”
For someone who completed his Master’s degree in Malayalam and also studied classical Carnatic music from the age of five to sixteen, Ramachandran, who has also written and illustrated numerous picture books for children published in India, Japan, Britain and the United States feels the evolution of the language from neo- classical to modern literature gave him an indication how Indian art could also develop from the grass root level to become an authentic language of our time instead of just borrowing from Europe. “Similarly, music must have given me an inherent rhythm and pattern to enrich my pictorial language,” feels the artist, a major retrospective of whose work was organised by the National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi) in 2003.
Lamenting the failure of developing an Indian tradition of imparting art education, which is still heavily dependent on the western model, except at Santiniketan, he says that European art, generally being realistic has definite principles like perspective, caste shadow and Chiaroscuro to create shapes and forms from a realistic point of view. “It is high time that we devise a new system of art education in India. The way Santiniketan masters experimented by introducing traditional techniques, understanding our classical art by taking students to Ajanta, Ellora, Mahabalipuram, Konark and other important places to make them understand not only the political history of India, but also the artistic values of our ancestors and imbibe their qualities in our present-day expressions.”
The artist, who unlike many of his contemporaries, did not go abroad after his education but decided to teach at Jamia Jamia Millia Islamia in the capital says that like Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Baij and Benode Behari Mukherjee, he had no desire to learn any further than learning on his own. “I also went back to Kerala to continue my research on Kerala murals. All these contributed to my development as an Indian artist.”
Fascinated by the Bhil tribe during his journeys to Rajasthan, the artist discovered many lotus ponds which he continued to visit for decades and paint. Now only one or two have remained while the others have been converted into bathing ghats.
“The idea of making places of tourist attraction is based on cleaning up the wild ponds of lotus which contain a complete life system of birds, insects, snakes, fishes, and many other forms of life which are destroyed when you clean them up and ugly concrete structures come up in its place. My paintings are testimony of the disappearance of that beautiful piece of nature from the world.”
Even now working from 10 am till evening in his studio, and going to Rajasthan whenever he can, Ramachandran smiles that he never has to wait for any ‘inspiration’ to work. “I am forever charged to do my work — be it paintings, sculptures, drawings or sketches. No partying, no socialising — only planning for the next exhibition,” says the artist who is currently working on a complete set of eight ‘lotus pond’ paintings, some measuring 40′ X 6′.
The author, who has been mostly using mobile phones to photograph, recalls that when he recently met his friend, Don McCullin, considered Britain’s greatest living photographer, he too was bowled over by the results…writes Sukant Deepak.
Historian, author and photographer William Dalrymple believes that it is imperative that political forces do not interfere with either literature, the arts or writing of history — and that goes for any government in power — right, left or centrist.
While he does not see anything wrong with re-writing of history as every generation does that and it happens to be an ongoing process, the author of books like ‘The Anarchy’, ‘The Last Mughal’, ‘The White Mughals’ and ‘Return of a King’ among others, feels that when it done with particular end in mind rather than by impartial looking at the evidence, the same can be very damaging.
“You have to make a fair judgment based on available evidence, and then write as impartially as you can. Frankly, no one is completely impartial, we all come to any given situation with the biases and ideas we were brought up with. And so the writing of history will never be ‘complete’,” he tells.
Talk to him about the dominance of Marxist left in many history departments in the post war period, and he feels that it is inevitable that there be a reaction against that.
“There is a historiography emphasising economical and social forces at the expense of biography and human agency. Yes, very few biographies have been written by Indian history departments until recently. I support some form of re-balancing, particularly towards more biographically led history and that is what I have been doing in my work already. It makes history much more interesting and accessible. Many Marxist historians researching early India, often ignored the importance of religion as a motivating force in human history,” he says.
Dalrymple, whose latest series of photographs ‘In Search of Ancient India’ is being exhibited (October 8-November 3) at Vadehra Art Gallery in the capital says it is a byproduct of his new book project – ‘The Golden Road’. “As you know, for the past 20 years I have written about early colonialism in India by the East India Company, and my four books on that, has now appeared as a box set — ‘The Company Quartet’. Now I am back to my first love which is early Buddhist Art, art history and Archaeology.”
Even as a a teenager, the author would spend most of his time at digs. Most of his summer holidays would be spent at various archaeological sites, first in Scotland and then in England. “When I left school I wanted to go and dig in Iraq and arranged to take on an ancient Syrian site, but at the last minute the dig was cancelled by Saddam Hussain and I ended up coming to India.
“The stuff that used to interest me in those days was very early history- Indus Valley, Ashoka, Ajanta, Sanchi. Some of the first things I ever wrote about India was on that very early history. The various travels that I made in the course of researching my book The Anarchy, led me to pick up this subject as my next book. Stuff that I have been longing to write about for years but never dealt with it at book length.”
The book is essentially a story of Indian culture around Asia and has three parts — the first is the northwards thrust through Pakistan and Afghanistan and Xinhang, Western China. The route that Buddhism took up through there, to eventually become by the 7th century, the state religion in China.
“Today, when India and China are at loggerheads, it is important to remember that India once culturally colonised China. When it became the state religion under the emperor Wu Zeitian in the 660’s, with it came a bunch of Indian learning — Indian Geography, ideas of astronomy, astrology and mathematics. For a brief period there was a very wholesale Indian culture colonization of China. It was never actually complete since Chinese culture is very strong and very ancient, but all sorts of Indian ideas were grafted onto Chinese culture and that was the first part of the book.
The second part of the book is south and eastwards, the story of Buddhism and Hinduism heading through the maritime silk route. Particularly the Pallava’s from Bay of Bengal to Java, Indonesia via Vietnam. The third part of the story is on Indian mathematics and astronomy heading west-wards.”
Talk to him about his fascination with photography, and the author says that it goes well with his work, and allows him to see the history that he has read and written about. It a very satisfactory thing to have a record of travelling. The first thing I do when I arrive at an amazing temple or site, is to photograph it. In a sense it helps you focus. Obviously, the photographs are a wonderful thing in themselves if you get them right.”
The author, who has been mostly using mobile phones to photograph, recalls that when he recently met his friend, Don McCullin, considered Britain’s greatest living photographer, he too was bowled over by the results.
Just like the current one, even his last exhibition, ‘Historian’s Eye’ boasted of black & white photographs. Ask him why he prefers that over colour, and the author asserts, “Some of the works that I most admire are from Bill Bryant, Cartier-Bresson, Don McCullin and Sebastian Salgago. These are photographers who have always shown how black to white could be a much stronger medium than color in the hands of a real master. I think it reduces and it adds to the strangeness. Also, it reduces familiarity. If you can get it right, it makes for much more powerful and moody images. It emphasizes signal, patterns and form.”
This author of ‘City of Djinns’ — a love letter to Delhi, who made an entire generation rediscover the country with works like ‘In the Age of Kali’ ‘Nine Lives’ is not really missing writing in that genre. “I still do long magazine pieces. However, history is my real love in which I try to channel all my love for archaeology and art history. It is much more difficult to write about early cities. After all, we are trying to rebuild entire civilizations from a few scripts, archaeological digs and records of a few Chinese pilgrims.
For someone who has written extensively on Afghanistan, it is hard not to ask him about his take on the situation there now. “A tragedy and completely avoidable situation. There was a folly on the part of the US to withdraw like that. Such a major setback for everyone. Obviously, first and foremost for the Afghans, but also a major setback for America, Britain, Australia and India. India has lost a lot of influence in that region. The only people who really win from this I think are the Chinese. Obviously, the Pakistanis have been triumphant. I think the real winners are China and Pakistan. There were actually very few American troops in Afghanistan and it was not costing huge amounts of money, by American standards. There was no anti war movement like with Vietnam. It could easily have been maintained.”
The ‘Heirloom Project’ that honours diverse Isalmic design techniques will display curated products from across the globe.…writes Nimerta C Sharan
Your monthly round up of the latest lifestyle launches, from luxury indulgences to artisanal creations, here’s what you can look forward to :
Bag This
Exciting news for all handbag lovers, luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton recently launched their limited edition handbags ‘Artycapucines – Chapter 3’. Six internationally — acclaimed artists have transformed the black canvas of the timeless Capucines bag into beautiful art pieces. Each bag will be available in a limited edition of 200 and will be released worldwide at the end of October 2021. Add To Cart
Looking for a quick festive fashion fix for you and your loved ones? E-commerce giant AJIO has announced its hottest fashion sale starting September 30, 2021. The shopping platform has roped in stylist Sonam Kapoor as the face of the sale that will offer more than 2500 brands at discounted prices.
Artisan Love
The country’s leading design house, Good Earth, in collaboration with textile designer Madeline Weinrib will present its collection of ‘butah’ motif dinnerware and home textiles at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, New York. The ‘Heirloom Project’ that honours diverse Isalmic design techniques will display curated products from across the globe.
Macaron Mania
Sweet dreams are made of this! Iconic French patisserie Laduree has opened its first Indian outpost at Delhi’s upscale Khan Market. Spread over three floors, the bakery currently has twelve macaron flavours, their signature pastries and tea cakes and other brunch and high-tea items on the menu. Bon appetit.
Bright And Beautiful
Raw Mango’s latest festive edit ‘Moomal’ goes live on their website on September 26, 2021. Inspired by the richness and diversity of Rajasthan, the collection consists of organza and silk saris and shararas, gota lehengas and kurtas and embroidered odhnis. The colours and silhouettes are just right for the upcoming festive season.
Infinity des Lumières, the GCC’s largest digital art centre, welcomed 25 future leaders of the UAE to an interactive and thought-provoking evening on the future of innovation and art on 21 September…reports Asian Lite News
In its innovative capacity, Infinity des Lumières strongly contributes to the prestige and influence of this region, building connections among a wide range of audiences, from residents to visitors, from art lovers and museum enthusiasts to people who rarely visit traditional spaces and exhibits.
Infinity Des Lumieres x Leadership Programme
“Technology plays an incredibly important role in disseminating content to massive, diverse audiences. And while it can be argued that the purpose of art is to evoke feelings and inspire critical thinking, we believe we need to remember that one of the main goals is for art to be seen and experienced by as many people as possible. Now technology is enabling artists to do precisely that – showcase their art to millions through various channels, and it’s also providing them with mediums to create more immersive artistic experiences. These experiences initiate more interest in art, which in turn encourages artists to create more experiences – it’s a wonderfully reinforcing cycle”, said Sara Zuddas, Marketing Lead, Infinity des Lumières.
The program was designed with the intention to invest in the government’s human capital and foster a new generation of skilled and visionary leaders. The program is a year-long incremental development journey supported by a rich learning, simulation and application ecosystem. These future leaders have also demonstrated consistent high performance in their work within their entities across the Abu Dhabi Government.
ALEX KOCK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BTS MIDDLE EAST: “Partnering with an innovative organization like IDL unlocks inspiring opportunities to shape the new kind of leadership required to reimagine and deliver on the important government mission of citizen happiness. We are thrilled to co-create these leadership development experiences with the Abu Dhabi School of Government as part of their mandate to build strategic capabilities in the government.”
Infinity Des Lumieres x Leadership Programme
BTS, a leading global consultancy, is dedicated to executing the people side of strategy, helping the world’s leading companies turn strategy into results. They aspire to design fun, powerful experiences that have a profound and lasting impact on people and their careers, inspiring new ways of thinking, building critical capabilities and unleashing business success.
I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice…artist Santosh Jain interacts with Siddhi Jain.
In the modern era, women are exploring their talents and exposing them to the outer world without any inhibition. The pandemic has transformed the art landscape in India, driving art exhibitions to the digital medium and an influx of pandemic-inspired themes on the canvas.
How has the art landscape in India changed from 2019 to now? Is there a specific impact of the pandemic on women artists? Four Indian female artists assess its tangible impacts on the art world.
Santosh Jain
Viewing of art on digital platforms gained almost sudden popularity after 2019. Indian artists took to social media to share their works, form artist groups and even tag peers in art challenges. It was as if the artist community had come together; this was inspiring. One could see works of artists one hadn’t come across earlier, and virtual interactions helped support each other during the lockdown. But the ease of posting and over one year of just digitally viewing art also led to ‘art fatigue’ and a dilution in quality! Art galleries and museums have reopened in the last 2 months. And even though there are strict guidelines on admissions, timings, etc., it feels great to see art lovers step out to experience art.
I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice. Instead, I can speak about myself and how the pandemic impacted me as a woman artist.
The pandemic affected me quite badly. I felt pressed down with so much dread around… updates on tv, ambulance sirens, eerie silence and WhatsApp messages bearing sad news. Fear and uncertainty haunted me day and night. My art helped me express my inner concerns and come to terms with the new ‘normal’. I created works across mediums almost daily – Multi Media works, Digital Paintings and even Linocuts in 2020 -21. For The Lockdown Series, I experimented with art material’ that was available at home — bills from home deliveries, kitchen foil, laundry strips, coffee, old cards, etc., My colour palette turned gloomy during the second wave. I also explored the concept of ‘shadows’ in The Languish Series. I feel no one stays with us forever except our shadow. In good times, in bad times and even in death.
Sonali Chaudhari
The years 2019 to 2021 have seen significant changes in each and every sphere. The Covid-19 pandemic has had lasting implications on every level of society. Art forms of any period are a reflection of that era. Needless to say, much of the art created during these years will remind us of these difficult times for generations to come. Furthermore, locked in the confines of their homes, people have become more conscious of the impact of art in their lives. Instead of being something elitist, art also has a vital role in stress relief and mental health. More and more online exhibitions made art easily accessible to all people. As an artist, I have seen many people approach me for art that they can identify with and uplift them. During the prolonged lockdowns, my studio was my sanctuary. It gave me much time for self-reflection and exploring various facets of my work in ways that are impossible without complete solitude.
The pandemic has affected every single person and has had an impact on women artists too. However, as in all cases, the level of that impact varies from person to person, based on their socio-economic background. So one cannot generalise in this case. We have all been through the same storm but in different boats.
Seema Kohli
Post the pandemic, art became much more accessible and easier to procure. People had the time to virtually explore art. Most established art galleries already had online presence. The pandemic allowed them to gear up the virtual experience with enhanced technology such as online viewing rooms, artist talks and so on. I think, in spite of the fact that the pandemic had lot of lows, there was room for people to sort of alter their lives and move into different spaces online.
I see myself as an artist first and then as a women artist! On the whole, the impact on the artist community was more of an emotional set back, despite having all the time to themselves to create art. Most of us felt that it was time when we could introspect, sit-down, experiment and work a lot more than otherwise. I think there was no social compulsion which also made it easier for us all to work in our own space and embark on our own journey.
Brinda Miller
I wouldn’t say that the current art landscape has been a reason for artists to make time for introspection and I find a lot of artists posting their best work on social media, especially women artists. I have spent a fair amount of time dabbling in different art experiments. More for my enjoyment and pleasure rather than thinking about the future of art in terms of a career. The shift has been fairly satisfying. The works are brighter than ever as times maybe uncertain and grim. I have always been inspired by my travel but now I am looking at other things. Looking inwards rather than outwards. Being creative can have the best results for women …. be it in their kitchen or it could be pursuing online courses.
Art is a form of meditation. Colour is therapy! I try to lead a normal life and keep myself busy. I miss a few things like meeting people and travelling but there are other things to keep me going. I have recently begun travelling again -I was in Ladakh last week where the landscape was spectacular, and hope to travel to new places. The rainy weather outside my window is awesome and Mumbai as a city inspires me a lot as do the people of Mumbai who go on with their lives and deal with every issue and survive so well.
Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals…reports Siddhi Jain.
Art is a ‘thapasya’ for people with an insight of creativity. Even though her association with art continued throughout her life, it is only now that the 79-year-old artist Todo Paintal is exhibiting her first solo show at a Delhi-based art gallery. Born in 1942, and married to an armoured corps officer-a war veteran who has fought the 65′ and 71′ wars, she turned to painting as a hobby and cathartic release.
Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals. Her recent explorations of Himalayan landscapes produce an utopian vision of an innocent world that is a refuge from the pressures of the city, free from noise, crowds, pollution, and in tune with natural processes.
Having spent her childhood in Dalhousie and a larger part of her life in far-flung army cantonments, she celebrates the experience of solitude and spiritual refreshment afforded by pastoral retreats in idyllic portraits of contented self-sufficiency. These portable mementos representing visual experiences share with us the wonderful energy of her artistic engagement, great fascination, and love for the mountains.
Being widely travelled, this is a theme she returns to frequently along with her emotional dialogue with her family — an unabashed ode to the pleasures and joys of a fulfilled life. She celebrates the radiant beauty of the natural landscapes and beautifully communicates the spirit of the place with a distillation of the tranquility it embodies in the people closest to her.
Paintal trained briefly at the Triveni Kala Sangam and later apprenticed with veteran artist Anjolie Ela Menon, as well as enjoying a brief stint at Arpana Caur’s Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. After a grueling Montessori training she ran her own Montessori kindergarten school for nearly three and a half decades. On her retirement and at the age of 75, she returned to her artistic passion with a diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi Collage of Art, under the mentorship of Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi who helped her crystalize her signature vocabulary. She is currently pursuing her fourth year of advanced studies.
Contemplating on his visit to desert land in Namibia, he writes: “In all my life I have never seen anything as raw, as untamed, and as stunning…writes Siddhi Jain.
Bringing photographs from his visits to the three remote, international locations — Arctic Circle, Iceland (2010), Antelope Canyon, Arizona USA (2010); and the Great Namib Desert, Namibia (2015), an online exhibition titled ‘Pristine’, by opthalmologist and self-taught photographer Navin Sakhuja will go on view from September 6-19.
The photographs engage with the power and beauty of nature. Sakhuja in his art practice has been fascinated by and is drawn to the unknown, the unexplored, and the untouched, pristine and desolate parts of the planet.
“I have always been fascinated by the astonishing power and beauty of nature. It is this fascination with the unknown, the unexplored and the untouched which draws me repeatedly to these pristine and desolate parts of the planet. I am always looking for the planet as it was before we gnawed away at it and changed it to what it looks like today. I can only try and describe what I saw, although I know I cannot do justice to the amazing spectacles to which I was witness. This photo essay covers three different visits over the last 10 years, the only common thread being ‘Pristine’,” writes Sakhuja about the exhibition.
Contemplating on his visit to desert land in Namibia, he writes: “In all my life I have never seen anything as raw, as untamed, and as stunning. The Namib stretches for more than 2,000 km along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia and South Africa, over undulating seas of sand, gravel plains and rocky mountain outcrops. The ‘roaring dunes’– so called because they create a perfect storm of sand and air, begetting thereby a rumble that is as loud as a low-flying plane–are also distinctive to the Namib.”
Similarly, the medical professional has this to say about his observations in Arizona and Iceland:
“Today, nearly 200 million years later, these grand canyons, also known as slot canyons because of the thin cracks in the canyon roof which allows in slivers of the blazing Arizona sunlight, are widely accepted to be among the most beautiful, natural architectural features in the world. Slot canyons, typically, are much deeper than they are wide. Some are so narrow that you can touch both walls with your arms outstretched. Others are much wider, like large rooms that suddenly change in shape and size as you twist and turn round the next corner. You have no idea what to expect beyond a few yards. Nature retains her equal ability to surprise and mesmerise.”
“Most people would not catch a flight to Iceland in November, in the heart of a full-blown winter that does not seem to distinguish between night and day. And yet there is a certain kind of light, between the enormous storm systems–I was witness to one magnificent display of fire and ice–and large, dark masses of clouds that glower threateningly from the sky.”
Calling himself a “full-time eye surgeon, driven by a passion for photography”, Sakhuja says, “The truth is that while ophthalmology and photography are all about perceiving light in the best way possible, there are several ways of seeing. Over the years, as I have wielded the camera, I know I have imbued my photographs with my own core. The eye looks through the lens, of course, but it is the mind which impels the finger to trigger the shutter.”
“I know that the perfect photograph has never been taken and the perfect eye surgery has never been performed. To have the opportunity to attempt both–I believe I am twice blessed. Every time I venture forth to some remote, untouched part of our planet, I think I have come very close to my own personal quest of taking the perfect photo. I can never click my camera fast enough–I have often thought I saw God in some of these places at least a few times. I know I always leave a little bit of my soul behind.”
