Abir Pothi is ONE! Delineating our upwards trajectory with gratitude!

Abir Pothi has turned one and we are more than excited to share the highlights of our incredible, fast-paced upward curve in the arts magazine domain of India. Despite starting off in the deep-end of the havoc caused by the pandemic, we held on our own and went from strength to strength even during a period overwhelmed by melancholy and stagnancy. We have grabbed eyeballs and we have brought to you profiles of living art legends from India time and again. We have scaled peak upon peak of fetching choice interviews to convey the oeuvres of contemporary artists to whet your appetite about the inside workings of the art world. For those joining the party now, here’s what we are about: “Abir Pothi is a vertical of Abir India, a non-profit that is also working towards similar objectives of giving voice to the unheard, bridge the gaps, and acknowledge the efforts of emerging artists. At the same-time, Pothi includes the experience and legendary artists and also brings to readers global perspectives on the current scenario,” shares our Founder, Ruby Jagrut.

Indeed, we are thankful to artists who opened up their hearts and shared their candid thoughts to discuss their expanse of work with us in free-wheeling conversations. It felt like stepping into the living room of a legend for a cup of coffee, and we are proud that through our vast range of articles we also brought the same level of intimacy about the arts practice of stalwarts to our readers. For example, Vasudevan Akkitham weighed in about disruption in the arts practice, Jagannath Panda opined that artists are connected to a greater force, and in series of articles, Veer Munshi took us from his idyllic childhood in Kashmir, to the struggles post leaving Baroda, and finally finding peace with his oeuvre.

Rekha Rodwittiya indulged in a deep-dive of a dialogue with our Editor Nidheesh Tyagi for our segment Samvaad and famously said, “Art is my meal” while Manjanath Kamath’s overarching profile encapsulated his childhood fascination with art till his still-unraveling success story. Amit Ambalal talked about how going against the tide keeps him sane and Pakistani artist Fauzia Minallah said she refuses to be shoved in a box of stereotypes. We feel immensely proud to have sought and obtained interviews of pathbreakers like the late Rini Dhumal, Seema Kohli, Akhilesh, Brinda Miller, Sidharth, Lalitha Lajmi, Muzaffar Ali, and Ina Puri, to name but a few. As we turn one, we have no qualms about saying that we have become a treasure trove and a ready reckoner for gaining insights in the lives of contemporary Indian artists!

Taking our discussion now to spotlighting the talent of young and emerging artists, we describe the journeys of the artists we represent on our online gallery, Abir Space, every week. Additionally, we also bring to you the on-goings of our pan-India arts competition, FIRST TAKE, organized by the non-profit Abir India, and get you updates on our eminent jury, selected artists, and their artworks. This year, we once again reached out to the hinterlands and found talent from remote corners in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Sunderbans from West Bengal, to name a few. With this interwoven approach, we seek to provide maximum visibility to young artists. Furthermore, through our section Room for More Art, we indulge in dialogues with leading architects and interior designers to know how they brainstorm innovative ways to incorporate art in their projects. Thus, with a 360-degree view of the art world, we leave no stone unturned to provide comprehensive takes on current trends.

All said and done, we agree upon one thing. Talking about art is a difficult proposition. The beauty and emotions evoked through vast canvases, sculptures, ceramics, prints, or other artistic media leave one spellbound and often at a loss of words. How can words even be adequate to convey the fascinating interplay of colours and designs that send the senses in a dizzy? How does one articulate the enigmatic thought process of an artist and describe how he or she successfully interprets it in their work? Indeed, writing about art is a delicate affair, replete with passion and aesthetics and our team has always outperformed itself and has brought to you deep-dives into the world of art through insightful, emotive, and cutting-edge writing that informs, educates, and entertains in equal measure. We also thank our contributors Shampa Shah, Georgina Maddox, Santanu Borah, Archana Ghose, Aparna Roy Baliga, and numerous others who have helped us unravel the world of ceramics, tribal art forms, latest exhibitions, or curatorial projects.

Our Editor, Nidheesh Tyagi, sums up our ethos and our journey perfectly: “From what is trending to the deep dive into immersive details, Abir Pothi has opened many windows into the minds and works of many promising, eminent and game changing artists. In the process abirpothi.com continuously moderates the art discourse especially for the young and emerging art, the architecture and design community as well as with the art community. When we turn back to see, we have some very interesting body of work, we have talked about. We also filled a gap of enhancing the art conversation in a present continuous way.” Here’s signing off with the promise that we will keep reinventing ourselves and will keep bringing you the choicest of stories from the Indian art world and beyond for the time to come!