Well into his eighties, artist Serbjeet Singh continues to transmute paints into a transcendental presentation as is evident in his recent Himalayan canvases, says noted travel writer and author

BILL AITKEN
The secret of Serbjeet’s Singh’s ongoing excellence as a painter (he is now in his eighties) lies in the embracing of the four-letter word “life” (or […]

Karam Puri gives voice to the millions through his images  

A photograph by Karam Puri.
Shailaja Tripathi
A Muslim priest in a Hindu temple located on Ihla de Mocambique, a small island in Mozambique, the shrinking Jat tribe of Gujarat…or the vibrant cherry blossoms festival, an annual affair in New York…varied voices reverberate in Karam Puri’s photo-exhibition “A […]

Sakti Burman’s work, which was on show at New York’s Aicon Gallery recently, has a benign dream-like quality. In a telephonic interview, he talks about how he keeps harsh reality out of his art.

Indian influences: Sakti Burman’s “Divinity”, Oil on Canvas.Courtesy Aicon Gallery
LAVINA MELWANI
The phone line crackled across the Atlantic Ocean. I was in New […]

As the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 came to an end, one tends to reflect on the past, question the now and look at what more can be done in the future.

Winning audiences: (Left) “Long Life” from Latvia and the Cullberg Ballet from Sweden.
NIRMALA SESHADRI
Ten days after the Singapore Arts Festival 2009, a time for post-festival […]

Rajasthani goldsmith Iqbal Sikka sends his miniature creations to the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Iqbal Sikka’s gold teapot  and his miniature stamp, the items he has sent to the Guiness Book of World Records.
RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN
Iqbal Sikka is an interesting man. If he captures your interest by saying that legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram made […]

Arts from the Earth attempts to bring back Chitrakathi from Pinguli.  

Ravana being stopped by Jatayu.
RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN  
Around 1999-2000 Lalit Kala Akademi had mounted an exhibition of paintings. The show had a small painting with a caption saying it was the last surviving work of art from a tribal family of Pinguli (Pinguli is an old […]

Renowned artist Tyeb Mehta was responsible for the boom in contemporary Indian art, but his death last week leaves a vacuum in the art world. 

Haunting work: The famous “Falling Figure”, 1968, Oil on canvas. Photos: Osian’s Library and Archive Collection and Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
KANKANA BASU
The art world suffered an irreplaceable loss with the […]

Osian’s first edition of its festival celebrates the universal issue of death 

 
Crucifixion Jamini Roy wanted to investigate if the same technique could be applied to an alien topic.
SHAILAJA TRIPATHI
Though titled Jashn-Osianama, the latest visual arts festival launched by Osian deals with the stark but biggest reality of our lives — death. The 140-odd […]

Renowned painter and sculptor Satish Gujral remembers his friend Tyeb Mehta. 

Tyeb Mehta. (1925-2009)
The passing of Tyeb Mehta filled me with mixed feelings — of loss and relief. Loss because we shall not have him around to continue enriching the art treasures of our country in his unique way. And relief because during recent […]

Discover the art and heart of rural India with a Roli Books’ offering showing glimpses of Bharat. 

These pictures from the book depict the colourful woven motifs on Assamese mekhela-chador.
RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN
“If the path is beautiful, you should not worry about the destination. And if the destination is beautiful, you should not worry […]