How Indian Roots Shape 26-YO Artist Niyamat Mehta's Sculptural Vision

Walking through the arched corridors of Delhi’s Bikaner House, visitors are immediately struck by the building’s history, scale, and cultural gravitas. Within this storied setting, 26-year-old artist Niyamat Mehta’s latest exhibition, Essere, in collaboration with Arushi Arts, comes alive.

Trained at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art, Mehta brings classical rigour to a contemporary sensibility. Her work has travelled internationally—from Kensington Town Hall in London to Artesfera di Valmadrera in Rome and the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva. In 2022, she became the youngest artist to display at the Palazzo Albrizzi during the Venice Biennale, cementing her reputation as a rising global talent.

These global experiences inform the ambition of Essere, which comprises 33 sculptures—ranging from commanding equine figures to expressive human forms. Smaller works displayed outside the gallery hint at the exhibition’s full scope.

Horses, a recurring motif in Mehta’s practice, infuse the space with vitality and movement. These are balanced by playful, whimsical pieces that reveal the artist’s lighter side alongside her technical mastery.

A standout piece is Beauty, a rearing horse mounted on Makrana marble, which evokes the Indian concept of Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram, reminding viewers that strength and elegance are intrinsically connected.

“With Essere, I wanted a collection that’s Gen Z and millennial-friendly, but also speaks to the older generation,” she explains.

A Growing Canvas

Mehta’s evolution is evident not just in scale and complexity, but in the way her work resonates with viewers. “ I wanted a collection everybody can vibe with,” she reflects, emphasising her desire to connect across generations. The titles are deliberately relatable–Grace, Resilience, Embrace, Courage—most pointing to qualities associated with horses.

Her human portraiture demonstrates a keen ability to capture inner life with immediacy and charm. She Who Hunts conveys individuality and poise, its eyes flickering with playful wisdom. Drawing on the Indian concept of Sakshi—the inner witness—the piece suggests quiet observation and balance, a meditation on joy and mindfulness.

The Fox Hat combines whimsy with a layered narrative. A stylised human head, adorned with an exaggerated hat upon which rests a fox, blurs the line between allegory and portraiture. The fox, a symbol of slyness and transformation, perches like a totem atop the figure, while the human gaze hints at imaginative contemplation.

Mehta’s work is never merely aesthetic; it is relational. Even in larger-than-life sculptures, there is an approachable, conversational quality. Each form invites viewers to linger, studying the subtle gestures and expressions that reveal personality and story.

The Alchemy of Creation

Central to Mehta’s practice is a meticulous, multi-stage creative process. “It begins with clay-sculpting that can happen in a studio. Next comes mould-making, then casting in bronze, resin, or plaster. After casting, there is the patternation process, a stage where you can see the colour,” she explains.

Early encouragement from a teacher at her Himalayan boarding school, Sanawar, sparked her fascination with sculpture. Later, a five-week intensive with Master Sculptor Jason Arkles in Florence introduced her to figurative sculpting, a technique she continues to weave into her practice.

Workshops in equine anatomy and gesture, alongside exposure to Western classical traditions and contemporary art in London, expanded both her technical skill and expressive vocabulary.

This layered training is evident across her work. Her equine sculptures combine anatomical precision with Indian and Middle Eastern motifs, rendered in vivid contemporary palettes. Portraiture, another cornerstone, captures individuality and emotion—poise, mischief, or contemplation.

Global Perspective, Local Presence

Mehta’s artistic voice reflects a synthesis of international exposure and Indian heritage. Trained at the Florence Academy of Art, she mastered classical techniques passed down from the lineage of Camille Claudel and Rodin.

Her time in London introduced her to contemporary sensibilities, while her Indian roots remain a constant reference. “I try to instill my experiences of the different places I’ve lived into my work,” she says, resulting in a hybrid aesthetic that bridges East and West as well as tradition and modernity.

Her commissions, past and present, highlight her versatility and imagination. In Switzerland, a client requested a sculpture of himself ‘bringing the moon down for his wife’. She recalls, “I was like, would you bring the moon down for your wife? And he said, "Yes, I would do anything for her.”

Other projects, including a private commission in Dubai, are quietly underway, while select pieces from Essere are headed to an international winter auction in London.

Accessibility and Engagement

Despite the prestige of her work, Mehta remains committed to accessibility. Instagram serves as both gallery and dialogue, particularly for younger collectors, while walkthroughs at her studio, Atelier Della Firenze, allow visitors to witness the labour and precision behind each piece. “People need to see where an artist spends all their time,” she notes. From Delhi to Bombay, she has cultivated a market that balances public enthusiasm with professional patronage.

Atelier Della Firenze also functions as an educational hub. Mehta offers masterclasses and mentorship, sharing classical sculpture techniques with aspiring artists in India. “I want to make classical sculpture accessible to aspiring artists,” says Mehta.

Through her work and teaching, Mehta transforms sculpture from a distant art form into a living, inviting practice—where mastery, imagination, and personal connection coexist.