In a world where female ageing is derisively discussed, artist Rekha Rodwittiya celebrated turning 60 with aplomb, bunching it with a solo exhibition, Rekha@Sixty: Transient Worlds Of Belonging at Mumbai’s Sakshi Gallery in October, much along the lines of a show she did a decade ago, to celebrate turning 50. But one cannot expect anything less from a figure like Rodwittiya, whose paintings are studded with depictions of relentlessly strong, powerful female figures. Her work was also part of New Configurations: Vignettes From The Collection In Recent Years, Kiran Nadar Museum Of Art’s ongoing group exhibition at its Greater Noida location. Rodwittiya, along with her husband, Surendran Nair, actively nurtures younger artists in Baroda through their jointly run, The Collective Studio. Alongside her show at Sakshi, she also curated Four Conversations In The Room, at Sakshi Salon (tied to Sakshi Gallery, but more experimental in nature), featuring works by Ankush Safaya, Kim Seola, N Divya and Sonatina Mendes. The show’s premise lay in examining how associations and friendships amongst artists within a generation create specific narratives of intent that help define the shared contemporaneity within which they belong.
