Viraj Khanna Set to Stun at Untitled Art Fair
Renowned artist-designer Viraj Khanna is all ready to stun Miami audiences with his latest collection of hand-embroidered cotton characters. Represented by Rajiv Menon Contemporary, a Los Angeles-based gallery, Viraj will be present at the Untitled Art Fair from December 4th to 8th, 2024, in Miami Beach, Florida (USA). He will be a part of I-Pop, a dual showcase featuring Indian artists alongside Tarini Sethi.
What is Viraj Khanna Bringing to Miami?
Viraj Khanna will present embroidered artworks on innovative materials; a departure from his signature style. His narrative-driven approach vividly captures different moments of life through intricate embroidery threads. He talks about his vision for I-Pop, “This time, I have experimented with new materials such as artificial leather, artificial leaves, and grass as embroidery mediums. The idea is to explore the myriad possibilities of the medium and initiate a conversation about how we are represented by an ‘image’ in society.”
Viraj Khanna’s creative use of embroidery techniques such as zardozi and ari infuses the aesthetics of India’s global consumer culture—defined by fashion and design—into a painterly form that merges realism and abstraction, reflecting the evolving identities in South Asia. This visual journey bridges the gap between tradition and modernity, guided by his deft hands.
East Meets West at Untitled Art Fair
Embracing this year’s Untitled Art Fair’s theme, ‘East Meets West,’ Viraj Khanna will bring to life the dynamic interplay between India’s rich heritage and the contemporary global landscape. His figures, a seamless blend of desires and emotions, embody the intersection of consumer culture and the wider contemporary art scene. Through his imaginative figurative style, Viraj employs traditional Indian embroidery techniques to craft a youthful voice that speaks to the moment of global encounter.
I-POP: Encounters Between India and the West
I-POP, a venture by Rajiv Menon Contemporary is a two-person presentation of Indian artists Tarini Sethi and Viraj Khanna. The artists in I-Pop articulate an emerging pop aesthetic in India. Embroidery, textile, and craftsmanship have been at the forefront of Indian popular expression, and have been major juncture points for the cultural encounter between India and the West.
The presentation challenges the distinction between the “folk” and the “popular,” specifically honing in on embroidery and metalwork design as forms of globally influential popular aesthetic practices. Tarini Sethi and Viraj Khanna take this popular culture of materiality and elevate it to the realm of fine arts, locating a powerful pop aesthetic in the process. I-Pop marks the rise of two major young talents from India, demonstrating the significance of South Asia as a major global aesthetic force.
About Viraj Khanna
Viraj Khanna (b. 1995, Kolkata, West Bengal, India) studied Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2018. Viraj Khanna’s works have been exhibited in solo shows at the LOFT, Gallery Art Exposure, Kolkata (2021) and Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai (2022) and the India Art Fair 2023 with Tao Art Gallery. He is currently pursuing his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Image Courtesy – Rajiv Menon Contemporary
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