Khanna’s deep commitment to the pictorial space was not to be confined by the limits of the easel. He got an opportunity to break free of this confinement. Sometime in the early 80s, the chairman of ITC showed him the blank, dome like space of about 4000 square feet on the ceiling of ITC Maurya,...
Category: #longread
A visual raconteur – Krishen Khanna Part 2
By Vandana Shukla Khanna’s works deal with a realistic world, the goings on; the play of maya caught in its own momentum, its own web; blurred under its own momentary existence against the eternal march of time. The moments caught on canvas seem to have a rhythm about them, as though, they are flowing over...
I am not a painter of human beings alone, but of life as a whole – Krishen Khanna Part 1
By Vandana Shukla The centrality of visual art is governed by geometrical considerations. But it is the discovery made in the process that underlines its longevity. Krishen Khanna, a self-taught artist, has been engaged in making these discoveries through his entire span of life. His art has come to be celebrated globally for the fresh...
Digital art is an amateur love affair: Christopher Charles Benninger, master architect (Part 4)
Nidheesh Tyagi: Christopher is also a writer of a book called Letter to a Young Architect. But, I was just wondering if both of you can tell us what will your letter be for a young artist who is right now in a place like Khairagarh or Orissa, or outside Kolkata in Bengal. What would...
Only 1% of the population is dictating what artists are doing, that’s a tragedy: Christopher Charles Benninger, master architect (Part 3)
NT: I remember this amazing essay by Octavio Paz long back, Poet in the Marketplace, so it’s like Painter in the Marketplace. So Christopher, what do you think about the kind of market art has become in this country; not just in this country, I think we have just caught up with what was...
Brilliant talent lost to market trends: Christopher Charles Benninger, master architect, in conversation with Abir Pothi – Part 1
Abir Pothi had the honour of interacting with two esteemed guests who run one of the biggest architectural practices in the country. Christopher Charles Benninger is a master architect and he has executed some great projects in India. He was part of CEPT, he set up Christopher Charles Benninger Architects (CCBA) in Pune, he also designed the...
Be inclusive, be original, and always keep learning: Ina Puri shares her pearls of wisdom
Even a single Samvaad with noted writer, art curator, documentarian and collector Ina Puri is a study in fascinating anecdotes from the modern history and world of Indian art. It is a glimpse into the trajectories of the Who’s Who of the art world, whether it be stunning legends or more recent, exciting contemporary discoveries....
Our series on textile stalwarts, combined into one long read!
Chandrashekhar Bheda Chandrashekhar Bheda studied textile design (Dyeing and Printing) at Sir JJ School of Art. Next, he completed his post graduation from the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad in Industrial Design with a specialization in Textiles in 1988. Abir Pothi reports how such a large potential stored in textile materials has kept him excited...
Using khadi as canvas, Shelly Jyoti captures the sense of national pride and ethos in her murals – Textile Series 4
As part of a series on textile murals, Abir Pothi conducted an email interview with acclaimed artist Shelly Jyoti and gained many insights into the world of textile art as well as her practice. Below are the in-depth answers that we got in response to our questions. What draws you to textiles in particular?...
“Each stitched line is a conversation between my hand and brain,” says Pranati Panda – Textile Series 2
Pranati Panda’s first textile experience was as a child learning to knit and sew from her mother. She has always had a need to do something with her hands, something tactile, and working with textile and stitching is a process of mark-making of the progression of time, she believes. “Hand-stitching is a time-based medium and...