After scanning the entire festival, Robb Report India has compiled a list of works, big and small, by senior and younger artists, and projects that are interesting, intriguing, and definitely worth seeing.
The only Amrita Sher-Gil work at Art Mumbai is at Akar Prakar. This watercolour painted on both sides is especially interesting as it was painted in 1924, when this pioneering woman artist was only 11 years old. Her painting shows two imaginative, fairy-tale-like scenes, giving viewers a glimpse into the mind of young Sher-Gil, who grew up to become one of the most sought-after artists in the world. There are also a couple of cool drawings by Rabindranath Tagore at this booth.
The New York-based gallery has set up a fine display featuring the art of KS Kulkarni, Sohan Qadri, George Keyt, Jayasri Burman, Paresh Maity and others. One of the standout works here is Raza’s Ekatra (together/in synchrony). It shows Raza’s long engagement with exploring the concepts of Bindu, Tantra, and sacred geometry in Indian philosophy. The painting also features text, three words in Devanagari script, which read 'Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram' (Truth, Auspiciousness and Beauty).
By the master chronicler of everyday urban life and common folk, Patwardhan’s Sketcher on a Flight is up at Vadehra’s stall. The painting captures a quiet, introspective moment of a person sketching inside an airplane, capturing a fleeting moment, and making an ordinary act extraordinary.
The painting Compotier et verres (Fruit bowl and glasses) was painted on June 14, 1943. Picasso created this still life in his Paris studio during World War II. The rigid, angular outlines of the fruit bowl and the glasses reflect the tension of wartime life. The bright red cherries are said to be introduced in the work as small bursts of hope.
Cuban artist Capote’s Voragine is made with oil paint, nails and thousands of sharp fishhooks embedded on linen panels. This expansive and impressive seascape appears like a turbulent ocean from afar. Up close, you see how it is built with hazardous materials. It portrays the reality of the troubled waters of the sea surrounding Cuba, symbolising freedom and the perils of migration.
This one is the crowd favourite. It celebrates the creative agency and artistic contributions of women working within India's diverse vernacular art traditions such as Madhubani, Rajwar, Bhil, Baiga, Gond, Jogi, Bengal Patachitra and Warli. The exhibition features colourful, vibrant works, which explore themes of women, nature, ecology and cultural memory, also paying tribute to Ganga Devi and Sona Bai Rajwar. One is a large-scale Madhubani work inspired by Ganga Devi’s Naina Jogin imagery. Another is a clay installation drawing from the distinctive wall art of Sona Bai Rajwar’s home.
Born in 1974, Spanish artist Aires’ I Will Always Love You belongs to his series Love Songs for Times of Crisis. Depicting Mahatma Gandhi as featured on Indian currency notes, the large-scale work explores the tension between the power of money, human vulnerability and universal empathy. It was created as a tribute to Gandhi’s philosophy of love and non-violence. When you get close to the work, you see more. Across the gold-toned images, Aires has concealed the lyrics of Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston's classic ballad I Will Always Love You.
A delightful discovery is From Fantasy to Form at Saffronart. It features M.F. Husain’s sketches and furniture, from 1942 to 1949, that he created while working at a kids’ furniture company in Mumbai called Fantasy. A large room is filled with his drawings, diagrams showing his intent to introduce children to Indian folk tales, their characters and icons. There are also the finished furniture pieces in soft pastel colours that are both whimsical and wondrous.