Indian Art Now

Suhasini Kejriwal (soo-HASS-ih-nee KEEJ-ree-wahl) makes artworks about city living. Kejriwal was born in Kolkata, one of the most populous cities in India. Since then, she has lived in several of the largest cities in the world, including New York City and London, England.

Inspired by her own urban experiences, Kejriwal depicts a bustling city street in her 2015 mixed-media work Mutton Street, above. Working with embroidery, printmaking, and paint on canvas, Kejriwal shows people mingling in an open-air market. The scene resembles a typical Indian street. The artist also adds an elephant—an animal which holds special importance in Indian culture and religion— raising its trunk in the center.

When Kejriwal posted this work on Instagram, she used the hashtag #everydayextraordinary. What makes this scene extraordinary?

The artist Suhasini Kejriwal (soo-HASS-nee KEE- jree-wahl) makes artworks about the experience of living in the city. Kejriwal was born in Kolkata, one of the most populated Indian cities. She has lived in some of the largest cities in the world, including New York City and London, England.

Kejriwal’s time spent in cities inspired her work Mutton Street, above. In the 2015 work, the artist shows a busy city street. She uses embroidery, printmaking, and paint to render the Indian street scene. People mingle in an outdoor market and an elephant raises his trunk in the middle of the composition.

Elephants are special in Indian culture and religion.

When Kejriwal shared this work on Instagram, she used the hashtag #everydayextraordinary. What do you think she meant?

Bharti Kher (BAR-tee KER) was born in England to Indian parents, and moved to New Delhi as an adult. Today, she creates sculptures and paintings, often challenging India’s cultural norms in her work. To make her 2008 The nemesis of nations, above, Kher reinvents the traditional bindi (BIN-dee), a mark Hindu women often wear on their foreheads. She covers a gallery wall with overlapping circles in a variety of brilliant colors, each representing a larger-than-life bindi.

“Many people believe it’s a traditional symbol of marriage, while others, in the West particularly, see it as a fashion accessory,” Kher explains. “But actually the bindi is meant to represent a third eye—one that forges a link between the real and the spiritual-conceptual worlds.” Kher incorporates the bindi into many of her works. In doing so, she explores the traditional roles of women in both Indian culture and the Hindu religion, as well as the evolution of the bindi as a fashion accessory.

The sculptor and painter Bharti Kher (BAR-tee KERR) was born in England to Indian parents. She moved to New Delhi as an adult. Her work often challenges common beliefs in India. In 2008 she made The nemesis of nations, shown above. She covers a gallery wall with overlapping circles in bright colors. The circles represent traditional bindis (BIN-dee), marks that Hindu women commonly wear on their foreheads. The bindis in Kher’s work appear much larger than life.

“Many people believe it’s a traditional symbol of marriage,” Kher explains. “Others, in the West particularly, see it as a fashion accessory.” But Kher says the bindi is actually meant to represent a third eye that connects the real world with the spiritual world. She includes this bindi symbol in many of her works.

Jitish Kallat (JIH-tish KAL-laht) was born in Mumbai and lives in this busy city today. He’s especially interested in how people experience daily life and has made several artworks exploring sleep. In his 2013 Syzygy, above, he investigates the time people spend commuting. He sculpts a group of people waiting in a train or bus station after a long day. The men’s heads dip as they doze, each grasping his belongings as if subconsciously aware that he is not yet in the safety of his own home. Although people in Mumbai inspired Kallat to make this nearly life-sized work, it’s easy to imagine this same scene taking place in another city.

Kejriwal, Kher, and Kallat explore aspects of living in crowded cities, the choices people make about fashion, and even the more mundane aspects of day-to-day life, such as commuting. How does each artist help you understand life in India today?

Jitish Kallat (JIH-tish KAL-laht) was born in Mumbai. He still lives in the busy city today. Kallat is most interested in people’s daily lives. The 2013 sculpture above is called Syzygy (SIZZ-uh-jee). The almost life-sized work shows a group of men waiting in a train or bus station after a long day. The men are falling asleep. They hold their belongings tightly to keep them safe. Working people in Mumbai inspired Kallat to make this work. But it’s easy to imagine this same scene taking place on transportation in another city.

Kejriwal, Kher, and Kallat explore city life, fashion choices, and even everyday travels. How do each of these works help you understand modern life in India?