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Mukhowta: Unveiling the Soul Behind the Mask in Raj Shahani’s Sculpture Exhibition

Step into the enchanting world of Raj Shahani’s exhibition, “Mukhowta,” where wood meets metal, and ancient traditions merge with contemporary art. Until February 29th, Bikaner House serves as the canvas for Shahani’s unique series of sculptures, inviting visitors to explore the intersection of materiality, spirituality, and self-reflection.

A Forest of Stories:
In “Mukhowta,” Shahani crafts a sacred forest using antique wooden corbels arranged in a circular formation. Each piece, adorned with a metal covering of copper, gold, silver, panchadhatu, bronze, German silver, brass, and steel, conceals a deeper narrative. Drawing inspiration from the sacred Snake Groves of Northern Malabar, the exhibition weaves a constellation of wood and metal within the Mughal Fountain Rotundas, offering a visual journey reminiscent of the Snake Groves’ mystical allure.

Reflecting Alter Egos:
Behind the shining plates of metal lies more than meets the eye. Shahani, with a keen artistic touch, repairs and accentuates each wooden object, symbolizing the masks we wear—the “Mukhowta” that hides our authentic selves. The exhibition challenges us to ponder the ethereal presence of sculpture materials and consider the dichotomy of our own adorned exteriors.

Serpentine Guardians:
Central to the exhibition are two fountains adorned with serpent sculptures, dubbed “Sarpa Devtas.” Inspired by the sacred Snake Groves of Kerala, these jute-rope serpents symbolize nature’s protectors, beckoning belief in the sanctity of the environment. As water sprouts toward the sky, the serpents stand as guardians, encouraging us to reflect on our connection with nature and its role in safeguarding our well-being.

Queerness, Gaze, and Catharsis:
Priyanka Kheterpal of AnamKara reflects on Shahani’s art practice as a profound exploration of queerness, gaze, and the therapeutic power of sculpture. In a world grappling with a mental health pandemic, art becomes a soulful companion—a notion beautifully translated as “AnamKara” in Celtic.

Masks and Magical Realities:
Delving into the history of visual culture in India, the exhibition explores the undeniable existence of masks as spiritual tools. Drawing parallels with the Theyyam performances in Northern Kerala, Shahani’s art pays homage to shamans and divine presence, captivating audiences with esoteric and magical experiences.

Dichotomy of Sacredness and Pollution:
Several sculptures, such as ‘Pitala (Brass)’ and ‘Tambra (Copper),’ delve into the memories held within the veins of logs, while others, like ‘Swarna (Gold)’ and ‘Rajata (Silver),’ adorn peacocks with precious metals. Shahani cleverly uses materials like bronze, tin, steel, and aluminum to fill cavities, symbolizing the incomplete nature of our adorned selves. The exhibition challenges us to contemplate the sacredness and pollution inherent in our modern psyche.


“Mukhowta” is not just an exhibition; it’s an immersive journey into the realms of art, spirituality, and self-discovery. As you explore Raj Shahani’s sculptures, let the stories hidden within wood and metal prompt reflection on your own ‘Mukhowta’—the mask you wear—and the profound connection between nature, art, and the human soul.

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“Unleashing the Art of Fashion: Exploring the World of Costume Design”- The Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya

Bhanu Athaiya, India’s first Oscar-winning costume designer, left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. Born in 1929 in Maharashtra, she began her career in film as a costume designer in the 1950s and went on to design costumes for over 100 films. Her attention to detail, innovative designs, and vibrant colors earned her a reputation as one of the leading costume designers in India. Athaiya’s work on the 1982 film “Gandhi” won her an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, making her the first Indian to win an Oscar. She used her platform to raise awareness about the importance of costume design in telling a story and bringing characters to life on screen.

Mumtaz and Dharmendra in Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969)
Photo Credits:- Prinseps
Saira Banu in Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968)
Photo Credits : Prinseps

Throughout her career, Athaiya was known for her ability to blend tradition with modernity in her designs seamlessly. She often drew inspiration from Indian textiles and handicrafts but also incorporated Western influences to create unique and memorable costume designs. Athaiya’s contribution to Indian cinema has had a lasting impact. Her innovative designs and attention to detail inspired future generations of costume designers in India and around the world.

Vyjayantimala in Amrapali (1966)
Photo credits : Prinseps

Rekha in Muqaddar ka Sikandar
Photo Credits: Prinseps

Even today, her work continues to be celebrated and recognized for its excellence and if you want to admire her work than you can visit the exhibitionat the Bikaner house (till 2nd February) showcasing her work. From the beautiful artworks to the sketches and costumes that were actually worn in the flim by the actresses like sharmila tagore, Helen ,Mumtaz and Meena Kumari , everything that you need to know about her is presented in the exhibition. Bhanu Athaiya’s legacy as a trailblazer in Indian costume design will forever be remembered. Her passion and talent have left an indelible mark on Indian cinema, and her work will continue to inspire future generations of costume designers. Here is a glimpses of the exhibition:

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Amit Aggarwal once again mesmerized the whole audience by turning the whole Stadium into the Runway for his couture show at FDCI Indian couture Week

We all are already stunned by the collection presented by all the designers in the Indian Couture Week but Designer Amit Aggarwal has taken a step ahead to take the whole show to a next level to present his collection “Pedesis”. According to the designer`s Instagram Q&A, he has given us a whole walkthrough of the collection a day before his show. “Pedesis is one of our most colorful collections yet! We`ve used different colors that cannot be imagined together in couture. After all, we dream through colors and make sense of the beauty of life through colors.” – Designer Amit Aggarwal

Here is a small walkthrough of the show:

The collection is a refreshing bookend to our part-miraculous, part-fantastical journey of a decade. But a constant thread of morphing forms and blurring the inescapable folds of time runs through it all. It is also a kaleidoscope ode to the fact that we are at an interesting bend in time where the digital space accommodates those whimsical aspects of ourselves not accessible in the physical world. Every silhouette shows that we carry the echo of the first human and hold the inception of the future – overlaid on the fine-grained realities of the present. This collection is a celebration of the fact that we are the glitch in time: warping forms, straddling realms, embracing eternity.

The Inspiration for his new collection in one word would be “Time”. “Although it`s a quantifiable entity, to me, time is a fascinating concept because of how truly blurred it is. We like to slot tribes as “ancient” and robots as “Future”. but in reality, all of us carry echoes of the first human and the promise of the future inside us. We’re all walking and talking manifestations of just how fluid time is.”- Designer Amit Aggarwal

If we talk about the Material used in the collection then, they always have to be married to the new-age materials with traditional techniques. To give us a specific example in Pedesis, they have contemporized the Ikat with handloom and Polymers. According to the designer himself, ” Couture allows you to experiment, to breathe, to let go and yet be meditative about it all.” Let’s just say that this collection made him sleepless the day before his show and the adrenaline rush was super high.

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The Fifties Show: Works of Indian Modernism

The Fifties Show revisits a momentous decade of newly-independent India that had just put its colonized past behind it to embrace triumphant modernism.

DAG’s new space at The Claridges, New Delhi, will see the opening of its latest exhibition, titled The Fifties Show. This exhibition encapsulates key highlights in Indian art over a decade of the 1950s, spotlighting how a newly-independent nation put its colonized past behind and embraced triumphant modernism.

Indian art in the twentieth century witnessed two important decades: The first one was the 1910s when the Bengal School saw the establishment of the “revivalist practice” that came to signify Indian modern art in general. Another was the 1950s when Indian artists of independent India embraced modernish that was free of their colonial history.

In 1950, the first copy of the Constitution of India, handcrafted and illustrated by Nandalal Bose and other Santiniketan artists, was dedicated to the republic, the Progressives were at the peak of their oeuvre, and younger artists were challenging their place with bold formats of art-making.

The 1950s was a period of hope and celebration, which saw the creation of works emblematic not just of the decade but of the context and subtexts of modernism itself. A period when the best and brightest in the Indian art world—such as Nandlal Bose, M F Husain, S H Raza, F N Souza, G R Santosh, K K Hebbar, Adi Davierwalla, Shanti Dave, Dhanraj Bhagat, etc—created some of their most significant masterpieces.

The exhibition will be on view from 1 February 2020 – 26th March 2020

Here are a few glimpses of the paintings:-


About DAG

DAG (formerly known as the Delhi Art Gallery) was established in 1993 in New Delhi, and over the past 25 years, has built a reputation for the quality of its collection that represents the expanse of Indian art practice. This extensive collection charts a historic continuum, from the early works of academic artists trained in Bengal and Bombay, to modernists from Baroda, Delhi and beyond, and includes artworks by some of India’s most celebrated artists, including Raja Ravi Varma, Amrita Sher-Gil, Jamini Roy, S. H. Raza, M. F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, F. N. Souza, Avinash Chandra, and Chittaprosad. With the aim of taking Indian modernism to a wider audience, DAG now has gallery spaces in the historic Kala Ghoda in Mumbai, and the iconic Fuller Building in Manhattan, New York, in addition to its gallery in Delhi. It regularly participates in international fairs such as Art Basel Hong Kong, Armory New York, Art Dubai, Masterpiece London, and India Art Fair.

The mandate of taking art to the people has led to museum-quality exhibition collaborations with stellar art institutions such as the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi, the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh, and the Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur. DAG’s first monumental public-private collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India—Drishyakala museum at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Red Fort—was inaugurated by India’s Prime Minister on 23 January 2019, has been widely feted, nationally and internationally and has an average footfall of 4,000 people every day.

With the democratization of Indian art as its core aim, DAG consistently hosts outreach programs for students of schools and colleges and also runs a pioneering program for the visually impaired by allowing them to experience art through tactile aids.

www.dagworld.com

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F(R)iction at Kona – art that is a must to watch

to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of the inception of Lodhi Art District, St+Art India has decided to treat us with a beautiful temporary exhibition, that brings together over 19 international artists. The artists have been working on their installations for weeks, and the final product is now open to the public. The artwork will be focusing on themes of alternate realities, and effects of technology. The genre of the art rangers from murals, to Al, to weaving and needlework.

St+Art India has organised curated walking tours around the Lodhi Art District, and if you`re lucky, you might even get the chance to interact with the artists. Apart from that, KONA will also host pop-up exhibitions and workshops such as zine making and sticker making, accompanied by great music from Boxout.fm.

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“Prayag – The Inner journey”, An art show by Bharat Thakur

From the Five elements of earth to sins done by humans, artist Bharat Thakur brings together a world where he explores the iconoclastic Spiritual Dimensions in his paintings for the first time through his series called “Prayag- The Inner Journey”. He brings together all the four directions of the compass, highlighting how India is about exploring improbable beauty. Sometimes a painting depicts an irretrievable moment in the past, sometimes it inspires one to create a future, all pieces of art being special in their own way  that made the viewers to introspect  every painting.

Here are some glimpse of the art show:-