Author: Artion

NETANYA (ISRAEL): Amid government efforts to make India a global film production hub, and in the build up to WAVES 2025, an Indian film festival kicked off here with the screening of filmmaker Kiran Rao’s acclaimed feature “Laapataa Ladies”.The Terracotta Symposium celebrated the intricate clay art of Tamil Nadu, guided by national awardee Thangaiya Velar. Eleven master artisans, who have showcased their work across Japan, France, and Korea, meticulously crafted 37 terracotta sculptures of Ayyanar, the guardian deity of Tamil Nadu villages, under the curation of Mushtaq Khan Ji, a research officer for Folk, Tribal, and Contemporary Arts. The unique…

In Short Sudhir Kasliwal’s photography exhibit debuts in Jaipur. Kasliwal known for capturing joy in Rajasthan. Exhibition includes rare Cibachrome and B&W prints. For the first time, jeweller-collector Sudhir Kasliwal’s photographic work of 60 years, exhibited the world over, opened to connoisseurs of hometown Jaipur earlier this month.‘The Song of Light’ solo exhibition, a collection of analogue photographs shot over the decades by the 75-year-old Kasliwal on a range of cameras, was held for only a few days but captivated the city. The venue was Hotel Fairmont, where the inauguration on February 8 saw a strong presence of local dignitaries.Kasliwal’s…

Delhi Book Fair 2025 was held between 1st and 9th February. (Express Photo by Ishika Roy)“You’d think that after the pandemic, people would be drifting towards ebooks and PDFs, but to our surprise, that is not the case. Print and digital run parallel in sales, so the idea that people aren’t picking up paperbacks and hardcovers is quite a myth,” said Kirt Raj Phagna, deputy manager – journals (North India), SAGE Publishing, at this year’s Delhi Book Fair held from February 1 to 9.Phagna’s words came to life at Bharat Mandapam, where the convention centre was teeming with book lovers—school…

Imagine walking through your neighborhood and stumbling upon a vibrant mural that doesn’t just tell a story but actively fights a painful, profoundly disfiguring disease. In a groundbreaking fusion of art and public health, Gates Foundation India and Delhi Street Art are transforming ordinary walls into powerful weapons against Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitos. These aren’t just any murals. Painted with mosquito-repellent paint, they educate, protect, and inspire, making India’s fight against filaria…

At the launch of the Art of India’s fourth edition in Mumbai, speakers emphasized how art and aesthetics pervade Indian life. They highlighted India’s rich cultural heritage and the need to appreciate and preserve indigenous art forms, while artists showcased works reflecting environmental and social issues.In India, art isn’t something you go looking for. It’s everywhere. In the intricate carvings of temple pillars, the delicate embroidery on a grandmother’s sari, the bold colours of a truck’s painted bumper, the everyday rangoli at someone’s doorstep. This deeply entrenched consciousness of art and aesthetics in the objects we use and the spaces…

A visitor at Chemould Prescott Road booth at the 2025 India Art Fair | Photo Credit: Courtesy of India Art FairWithin six hours of day one at the India Art Fair, curator Alaiia Gujral has sold 10 pieces of the collectible design showcase ‘Shifting Horizons’. In the dimly-lit, sparsely-decorated booth, she has brought together pieces by 17 emerging designers, including a fibre-board, teakwood and brass swing, natural dyed rattan and white ashwood stools, and a ceramics-based “illuminating sculpture”.“Hopefully, a few more will go,” Gujral says with a little laugh, perched on designers Nitush and Aroosh’s Vidya Vrtta, a light installation…

The fourth edition of TOI’s Art of India (AOI) opened on a heartening note with Maharashtra’s cultural minister Ashish Shelar announcing the launch of MAHARA – Maharashtra Art Recognition Award – as the state’s commitment to its rich artistic heritage. “Starting this year, MAHARA will honour outstanding contributions in the field of art and craftsmanship,” said Ashish Shelar, who also unveiled another ambitious initiative – WAVES – World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit, set to take place in Mumbai from May 1 to 4. “Just as Davos hosts the World Economic Forum, this summit will bring together global leaders in art,…

The Homegrown Festival has been a creative playground for Indian artists, photographers, designers, musicians and creators for almost a decade since its first iteration as ‘HG Street’ in 2018. After a year-long hiatus, The Homegrown Festival is back — and it’s bigger and better than ever. This year, Homegrown will showcase four emerging contemporary Indian women artists Namrata Kumar, Taniya Timble, Bhumika Mukherjee, and Vridhhi in a pop-up group exhibition at the Richardson & Cruddas (1972) Ltd., in Byculla, as part of The Homegrown Festival. SOURCE:  HOMEGROWN 

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted a Dokra artwork, depicting musicians with studded stonework, to French President Emmanuel Macron and an exquisite silver hand-graved table mirror with floral and peacock motifs to the first lady of France. The Dokra art is a renowned metal-casting tradition from Chhattisgarh, showcasing intricate craftsmanship using the ancient lost-wax technique.Rooted in the region’s rich tribal heritage, this artwork depicts traditional musicians in dynamic poses, highlighting the cultural significance of music, the officials said.Source: Press Trust of India

Dark and light (From left to right) ‘Eye in the Sky’; Khambatta in his studio; ‘Metamorphosis’Arzan Khambatta has what he calls “fidgety hands”. For as long as he can remember, the renowned sculptor has doodled on notebooks and textbooks, right from his school days to even while attending phone calls. In 2011, when his mother fell ill and was in hospital, Khambatta would spend hours sketching pen-and-ink drawings as he and his siblings took turns to stay with her. All these years later, approximately 80 of his drawings are on display at Gallery Art & Soul in Mumbai as part…