Indian art: Meet the masters of popular aesthetics
These artists form the bulwark of the market and include well-known names with a consistent body and quality of work. To the public, they represent the face of Indian art without having to carry the burden of social engagement, thereby, believing in art for its own sake.
Curated By: Kishore Singh
Chasing the bloom
SEEMA KOHLI (b. 1960)
Soham Hansa
Ink and acrylic on canvas with 24 carat gold and silver leaf
68 x 71 inches
It is unlikely that Seema Kohli, who struggled to break the shackles of a conservative middle-class upbringing, could have foretold her success. Essential to Kohli’s work, and central to it, is her choice of winged figures seemingly afloat over a universe consisting entirely of lotus blooms, rooted trees and quiet cityscapes.
If the artist’s effervescent colours reflect her view of nature and mankind in organic harmony, the reason is the strife she sees around her. She hopes to arrive at a meditative-like quietness despite her busy palette. These are works that capture her inner struggles and insecurities, and she pays ode to the feminine principle without deflecting or indicting the male principle.
Kohli has read the scriptures and most sacred texts and these imbue her works. Yet they remain secular, never sacred. Her winged women are a reflection of her wanting to break free from socially imposed norms, something she captures in her performance pieces and videos. These penetrating and perceptive artistic practices are underscored by a scathing commentary on perceived notions of propriety and ownership.
Popular on the international art circuit, Kohli has, in recent years, begun to turn the figurative element of her paintings into bronze sculptures, cutting through the confines that artists find themselves slotted into.
SEEMA KOHLI (b. 1960)
Soham Hansa
Ink and acrylic on canvas with 24 carat gold and silver leaf
68 x 71 inches
It is unlikely that Seema Kohli, who struggled to break the shackles of a conservative middle-class upbringing, could have foretold her success. Essential to Kohli’s work, and central to it, is her choice of winged figures seemingly afloat over a universe consisting entirely of lotus blooms, rooted trees and quiet cityscapes.
If the artist’s effervescent colours reflect her view of nature and mankind in organic harmony, the reason is the strife she sees around her. She hopes to arrive at a meditative-like quietness despite her busy palette. These are works that capture her inner struggles and insecurities, and she pays ode to the feminine principle without deflecting or indicting the male principle.
Kohli has read the scriptures and most sacred texts and these imbue her works. Yet they remain secular, never sacred. Her winged women are a reflection of her wanting to break free from socially imposed norms, something she captures in her performance pieces and videos. These penetrating and perceptive artistic practices are underscored by a scathing commentary on perceived notions of propriety and ownership.
Popular on the international art circuit, Kohli has, in recent years, begun to turn the figurative element of her paintings into bronze sculptures, cutting through the confines that artists find themselves slotted into.
