Out of the grim shadow of the First World War came the unbridled flourish of Surrealism. Over a hundred years later, Surrealist art is more significant than ever before. Delhi-based writer Radhika Iyengar writes about three surrealist artists from the Indian subcontinent: Bharti Kher, Arpita Singh and Rithika Merchant.
Read MoreSamanta Batra Mehta and Nirupa Rao approach their artistic practice very differently, each with a unique voice and creative process. The work of both artists, however, is rooted in a love for botany. New York City-based Samanta works with illustration, text and photography to create multi-layered, mixed-media installations that draw connections between the environment and the human condition. Nirupa's botanical illustrations are inspired by her regular field visits into the wild–the most recent of which was to the forests of the Western Ghats. The Bangalore-based artist collaborates closely with botanists to achieve scientific accuracy.
Monsoon Malabar connected with Samantha and Nirupa via email to discuss their varied inspirations, love of books and how covid has changed the way they work in their respective cities.
Read MoreThe Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is currently hosting an exhibition of artwork from the Pahari tradition of North India. Set in an intimate gallery in an annexe of the Southeast Asian Art section of the museum, “Seeing the Divine” offers a small but invaluable selection of Pahari works—including those by notable artists like Nainsukh and his older brother Manaku, who are well-recognised by Indian art historians. I was fortunate to speak with the exhibition curator, Kurt Behrendt.
Read MoreComing from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the world, Stephanie Douet and Roshan Chhabria first connected via Instagram while chatting about the British Raj. This developed into a collaborative series titled Indo-Anglian Conversations, which was exhibited at the India Club in London. We caught up with Stephanie and Roshan to talk about their artistic collaboration, creative process and the way their works have been influenced by one another.
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