“Everything starts from the fire I have for wanting to see things change,” says Jas Charanjiva. The self-taught artist and co-owner of the lifestyle store, Kulture Shop has been channelling this angst into art ever since she was a teenager. Growing up in California, she was moved by underground artists and skateboard culture to create… Continue reading Artist and entrepreneur Jas Charanjiva on the importance of self-care rituals
A high-flying career in modelling ensured Sheetal Mallar was always in the limelight, but it kept her away from her family, friends and the city she grew up in. “I took up photography to reconnect with them. It happened organically, as a slow process of discovery over the past nine years,” she says. After publishing… Continue reading Model-turned-photographer Sheetal Mallar finds beauty in simplicity for her debut exhibition
At a glance, Nayanaa Kanodia’s artwork might look like it lacks perspective. Her paintings look almost fantastic, bringing forth scenes from our daily lives with her signature tongue-in-cheek approach. “It is very easy to show tragedy and calamity but very difficult to show satire and mirth which can be understood by the viewer,” she says.… Continue reading L’art naïf pioneer Nayanaa Kanodia’s satirical paintings presented at London’s The Brick Lane Gallery
There’s never a dull day in the city of dreams. Here, we curate the best events taking place this weekend so you can make the most of your downtime. Take a friend along, make it a date, or go by yourself—there’s plenty to soak in. Thirsty City 127’s first anniversary Renowned Hong-Kong based bartender Suraj… Continue reading All the best things to do in Mumbai this weekend
There’s never a dull day in the city of dreams. Here, we curate the best events taking place this weekend so you can make the most of your downtime. Take a friend along, make it a date, or go by yourself—there’s plenty to soak in. Shizusan launches Shibui Good news for all the millennial pink… Continue reading All the best things to do in Mumbai this weekend
What began as half-moon manicures in the ’20s has now evolved into blithe artistic lines. Graphic nail art is just as popular on the street style circuit as it is on the runway, and these patterns draw inspiration from everything, like animal print to something as abstract as road signs. The rule to getting it… Continue reading Graphic nail art is the latest beauty trend to hit runways
It’s been eight years since India last participated at Venice Biennale. But now, a show titled Our Time for a Future Caring—put together by Roobina Karode, director and chief curator of the India Pavilion’s principal partner, Kiran Nadar Museum Of Art, New Delhi—celebrates 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi, and features the works of artists who… Continue reading Inside the India Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2019
We at ELLE are in conversation with the most eligible and suave Piero Tomassoni who is a contemporary art curator and critic. Piero Tomassoni He has worked with international institutions, galleries and collectors for over ten years and he founded Artvisor in 2015. He is a frequent lecturer on contemporary art and its market at various universities… Continue reading Curator Piero Tomassoni on the artists to watch at Frieze New York
When 28 of Mumbai’s art galleries come together, the result is bound to be spectacular. This year’s edition of Mumbai Gallery Weekend kicked off on January 16 and will run through the weekend. On display are works by more than 50 artists, which is a treat in itself. Beyond that, there are various walkthroughs, film… Continue reading Your guide to the ongoing Mumbai Gallery Weekend
Last year, while the art world’s focus was trained on India Art Fair in New Delhi, there was a smaller show taking place not too far away, at the repurposed warehouse of a disused leather factory deep inside Khirki Village. Called The Irregulars Art Fair (TIRAF), the three-day affair was the brainchild of artist Tarini… Continue reading In conversation with the founders of The Irregulars Art Fair
A dog licks the head of a girl fallen on the street — but instead of her head, there’s a bowl of sweets. A claw machine arcade game contains household appliances — but instead of a claw hand, there’s a woman’s hand. These are some of the artworks created by 24-year-old visual illustrator Akshita Chandra, as… Continue reading An art series juxtaposes fairy tales with contemporary moral codes for women
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… Continue reading The many shades of Rekha Rodwittiya’s feminist art
Mithu Sen kicked off 2018 with her audaciously titled UnMYthU at Chemould Prescott Road in Mumbai. It had elements of the five tenets of her practice: lingual anarchy, untaboo sexuality, radical hospitality, counter capitalism and unmonolith identity. “By deconstructing her name, UnMYthU celebrates the self-mythologising potential of Sen’s work, but also draws the viewer—viewing from ‘MY’ to ‘U’—into a transactional matrix,” wrote art critic Somak Ghoshal. UnMYthU was on display from January to March 2018. Between August and… Continue reading Peeling back the layers of Mithu Sen’s unique brand of art
I have no deeper connection to the Kalhath Institute in Lucknow, than the airline ticket that got me there, and yet I find myself frequently thinking about the distinguished Art Deco building from 1932, committed to the recognition, promotion and sustenance of craft excellence in India. This period edifice was restored and enlarged, to be… Continue reading Inside Maximiliano Modesti’s Lucknow school for Indian artisans
Which female artist doesn’t dream of a solo at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York? From March to September 2018, Bengaluru-based artist Ranjani Shettar had a solo there, titled Seven Ponds And A Few Raindrops, for which she moulded stainless steel into a series of suspended sensual,… Continue reading Bengaluru-based artist Ranjani Shettar on her solo exhibition at the Met this year
Shoppers at a Delhi mall were in for a bit of a surprise recently. Amidst pretzel stands and discount boards, they also spotted people dressed like they were from another century. Sticking out like a sore thumb, these young men and women were wearing saris, draped in styles from the ’90s, temple jewellery, gajras, dhotis… Continue reading A flash mob in Delhi brought Raja Ravi Varma’s painting to life
Ever since it opened in 2010, Jhaveri Contemporary has been one of Mumbai’s most important art hubs, steadfastly championing art from South Asia by showing works from the likes of Rana Begum, Raghubir Singh and Anish Kapoor (whose first-ever public exhibition in the country was produced by Jhaveri Contemporary for Lisson Gallery at the Mehboob Film… Continue reading Jhaveri Contemporary’s new Colaba residence is Mumbai’s hottest art hub
Stop by New Delhi gallery Nature Morte and take in its groundbreaking show, Gradient Descent (on until September 15), an assemblage of art that’s been created using artificial intelligence in collaboration with humans. Face (Artificial Muse) by Mario Klingemann The AI debate—whether machines can truly supplant humans—has been raging… Continue reading Artificial intelligence meets art at New Delhi gallery Nature Morte
There’s a silent shake-up underway at London’s biggest museums, and 23-year-old art history graduate Alice Procter is leading it. In June 2017, she started Uncomfortable Art Tours — unauthorised guided trips to major institutions like National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Victoria And Albert Museum, British Museum, Tate Britain and National Maritime Museum that lay bare the truth behind Britain’s colonial art. At university, Procter was thrown by how little some of her peers knew about the British Empire.… Continue reading This London student is forcing the West to accept the uncomfortable truth behind Britain’s colonial art acquisitions
London’s Regent Park is currently an art lover’s delight. Thanks to the ongoing annual cultural event, Frieze Sculpture, the lawns are dotted with installations of varying sizes. There’s a giant Penguin by John Baldessari, a holiday home by Richard Woods, and then there’s a 4.8m tall shamanistic sculpture by Bharti Kher. Named The Intermediaries, Kher’s… Continue reading You can’t miss Bharti Kher’s 4.8m tall installation at London’s Frieze Sculpture
As an art historian and writer, Dr Amin Jaffer is a man constantly on the move. He’s currently the Curator of the exquisite Al Thani Collection, an encyclopedic holding of more than 6,000 works of art. Rwandan-born 49-year-old Jaffer — who lives in London and was formerly Senior Curator at the Victoria And Albert Museum… Continue reading London-based art curator Amin Jaffer on 12 things he can’t live without
