ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh.

gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish

dileep sharma. rajesh ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu sharma. little shilpa. yusufseema arakkal. kohli. rajesh manish pratap malhotra. singh. satishdileep gupta.sharma. malini gaurav ramani. gupta. baba seema anand. kohli. play manish clan. malhotra. ravi kumar satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. varun sardana.gaurav paramjit gupta. singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. gupta. maliniparamjit ramani. singh. baba manish anand. arora. play clan. viveek ravi sharma. kumar little kashi. shilpa. ritu kumar. yusuf arakkal.sujata bajaj. rajesh jj valaya. pratap manusingh. parekh. dileep sharma.varun sardana. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema gaurav gupta. seemarajesh kohli. pratap manish singh. malhotra. dileep sharma. satish gupta.gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra.play satish clan. gupta. ravi kumar malini kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. seema kohli. yusuf arakkal. ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana.baba anand. paramjit play clan.singh ravi manish kumar arora. kashi. viveek ritu kumar.sharma. sujata little bajaj. shilpa. jj valaya.yusuf arakkal. manu parekh. varun pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manishjj valaya. arora. manu parekh. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajeshritu pratap kumar. singh. sujata dileep bajaj. sharma. jj valaya. gaurav manu gupta.parekh. seema varun kohli. sardana. manish paramjit malhotra. singh satish gupta. malini ramani. sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manishmalini malhotra. ramani. satish baba gupta. anand. malini play clan ramani. ravi kumar baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajeshsatish pratap gupta. singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. paramjit manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani.sujata bajaj.baba anand. jj valaya. play manu clan. parekh. ravi kumar varun kashi. sardana. ritu paramjitkumar. sujata singh bajaj. manish arora. viveek sharma. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. kashi. ritu kumar. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli.ravi manish kumar malhotra. kashi. satish gupta.ritu malini kumar. ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. singh manishmanish arora. malhotra. viveek satish sharma. gupta. little malini shilpa. ramani. yusufanand. babaarakkal. play anand. rajesh clan play pratap clan ravi singh. kumar dileep kashi. sharma. ritu gauravkumar. gupta.sujata bajaj.seema kohli. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba anand. play clan. ravi kumar kashi. ritu kumar. sujata bajaj. jj valaya. manu parekh. varun sardana. paramjit singh manish arora. viveek sharma. little shilpa. yusuf arakkal. rajesh pratap singh. dileep sharma. gaurav gupta. seema kohli. manish malhotra. satish gupta. malini ramani. baba convergence art & fashion Front Cover Inside A special collection of artworks and fashion creations

Curated by Sushma Bahl & Vidyun Singh

24 to 30 November 2010 Visual Arts Gallery, Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

3 to 30 December 2010 Art Positive Gallery, F-213/B, Lado Sarai, Old MB Road, New Delhi 110030

3rd Floor, Gulab Bhawan, Art Positive Head Office 6, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, F-213/B, Old MB Road, Bajaj Capital Art House, New Delhi - 110002 Lado Sarai, 97, Nehru Place, Call: +91 9811111303 & 9560697504 New Delhi-110030 New Delhi-110019 Website: www.icf.edu.in T: 011-46604128, 41602545 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.bcah.in art & design

Baba Anand Gaurav Gupta Dileep Sharma J J Valaya Manu Parekh Little Shilpa Paramjit Singh Malini Ramani Ravi Kashi Manish Arora Satish Gupta Manish Malhotra Seema Kohli Play Clan Sujata Bajaj Rajesh Pratap Singh Viveek Sharma Ritu Kumar Yusuf Arakkal Varun Sardana Dear Friends,

Greetings from Art Positive, a Unit of Bajaj Capital Art House!

To celebrate the advent of a new season, and also the New Year, I am delighted to bring to you our new exhibition, ‘Convergence- Art & Fashion’. A step ahead of our artistic endeavours of the past, the present show is our attempt to bring to forth the symbiotic relationship shared by Fashion & Art. The two domains though reflect a contrasting picture, where one focuses on functionality and market and the other on unrestrained creativity, the cross boundary assimilation and collaboration between the two can not be negated in today’s scenario. Neither of the two is restricted by their own boundaries. Works by fashion designers finding place in museums & artists creating artworks that are no longer appreciated only for their aesthetic merit but also for the utilitarian value, keeping in tune with India’s classical & tribal history of “functionality in art”, are a norm rather than an exception today.

This special exhibition, showcasing works by 10 leading visual artists and an equal number of renowned fashion designers, celebrates the confluence of the two artistic genres. With the artists treading into the land of fashion and creating a fashion design work/object, besides one work that represents their own oeuvre, and the designers showcasing their creative talent by exhibiting not only a work in their signature style, so very powerful in the industry they represent, but also a two or three dimensional artwork for the display, the exhibition is surely a fascinating collection of beautiful works.

I am thankful to the artists and designers for their beautiful & unique creations and also to the curators, Sushma Bahl & Vidyun Singh, for bringing in their expertise and experience in their respective field, that was truly helpful in realising this grand project.

It has been a pleasure to work towards this beautiful union and I feel proud to share with you this refreshing and unique collection of Art.

Cheers! Anu Bajaj Art A-Part

Sushma Bahl Is art a part of life or does art, in any which way, stand apart from other forms of expression? Though contentious to categorize art in either grouping, broadly speaking as a branch of philosophy, it deals with constantly evolving notions of aesthetics and rasa (taste) or varied ways of seeing and perceiving life and the surrounding world with creativity as the central axis. The distinction between art and craft or between fine art and design/ fashion/applied art is an equally disputed territory. All creative endeavors, in any form of visual art or the performing art or literature, epitomize a given time and space. Artists of all genres and designs- painters, sculptors, designers, illustrators, craftsmen, visualizers, architects, fashion designers and new media practitioners, individuals or groups, in a juxtaposition of art and artifacts represent the vision, vitality and plurality of the cultural matrix in which they exist. Resulting from a cross fertilization of ideas and experiences, immersed in aesthetics as well as some form of functional value- may be just visual or sensual stimulation, each art form with its distinct characteristics, in whatever genre, color, style or media; involves cerebral and emotional inputs as well as skills, materials and a play of creative energies as a complete human activity. The Indian Context Intrinsically rooted in classical, tribal and folk forms that have traversed through the religious, sacred, ritual, decorative, emotional and functional; Indian art as living phenomena in a kaleidoscopic variety has continued to engage with life and society. Drawing on sound philosophical principals of Shilpasatras and in a multitude of expressions, sacred on the one hand and courtly on the other, it has retained its aesthetic appeal while also maintaining its functional role. Artists continue to perform important roles as communicators and harbingers of change, providing recreational services and rendering works that illustrate popular ballads, epics and love stories and produce usable objects including garments that adorn the body. Arts add colour to life, document our history and enhance the environment.

Shringar as one of the navrasa depicted with finesse in elaborately adorned sculptures and temple deities or beautifully painted manuscripts and miniatures, illustrate how fashion has been integral to India artistic practice. Historical accounts and literary texts of the past describe in captivating details the rustle of pure silks as the rich passed by. Renowned for their colors and patterns, Indian textiles in fine muslin and handloom fabrics received royal patronage while they also continued to be accessible to the commoners who wear them in elegantly fashioned folds often unstitched such as saree for women and dhoti or pagri for men. Elaborately embroidered and embellished costumes, intricately designed jewelry and decorative patterns on hands face and body have been an integral part of the wearables across socio-economic strata, regions, age, sex and communities, each for a specific occasion and in a distinct style.

Re-fashioning art In this ever changing cycle of time and constantly evolving world nothing remains the same. India and its art and culture have also undergone an unprecedented face lift in the recent years given its place in a more globalised and open scenario. In a free flow across forms, media, materials, styles and techniques, a refreshingly hybrid genre of art, in a variable fusion of visual and performing arts including painting, sculpture, installation, design, fashion, architecture, photography, video and new media, clearly impacted by all pervasive Bollywood films, pop culture, kitsch seems to have refashioned art in its new avatar. Besides decorative and spiritual themes, wider issues of human interest such as sexuality, feminist themes, regional identity, corruption, violence, world events, environment and human rights issues are addressed in re-fashioned art that can be beautiful or/and beastly. In terms of scale and ambition too, it exudes a new vigour and confidence. There is daring, depth and glamour for provocation, reflection and pleasure. In an inclusive approach the old and the new co-exist as canonical texts such as vastushastras, silpashastras and Kamasutra are studied and practiced with as much fervor as innovation and experimentation in digital technology and new media.

Alankar or embellishment for the self and one’s surroundings is a natural human desire, an essential element of visual language and an inseparable component of aesthetics. It is by analyzing the costumes, decorative tradition and the motifs and iconography used by a particular group in a given age and time that art historians re- construct a trajectory as a testament to its socio-cultural milieu. Though often hyped more for its glamour value, fashion in fact is a creative endeavor akin to fine art. Fashion artists work with colour, material, texture, form and design while painters, sculptors and other visual artists work with similar materials and concepts often in an abstract realm. In a significant judgment the Bombay High Court recently endorsed that fashion designers are in fact artists. Fashion artists add to the beauty and visual appeal of garments and their wearers and designers enhance the utility, efficiency, look and value of what they create–a decorative piece or a usable object. Visual artists create to articulate their own and others’ dreams, fears, ideas and events and in the process enhance the environment. All artists take forward the age old concept of working together in groups and across disciplines learning from each other in the process, as did the sthapatis or architects who excelled in building design, or the master artist who worked in karkhanas (studios/workshops) with rangamez or colourist, the calligrapher, the framer and the binder.

Convergence The two creative domains though inextricably intertwined in their search for aesthetics and a visual language also incorporate some special characteristics distinct for each. While fashion artists appear to play more vigorously with materials and premeditated designs and for functionality as required by the rasik or the market; artists seem to focus primarily on their inner urge and spontaneity to get across to the viewer or collector often relegating the functionality of art to the background. Creativity and ability to handle material and shape ideas into form seem to fall in between, equally significant for both groups of artists. The exhibition is a platform that provides the space and scope for each group to tread across the fence, to experiment and re-play their creativity with functionality. Each of the ten invited visual artists create a fashion garment or object that adorns the body besides creating an art work in their known oeuvre, while the ten invited fashion artists play with unrestrained creativity to make a two or three dimensional or virtual art work besides designing and presenting a garment in their signature style.

In the process, each group goes back and forth, as they celebrate and experiment with cross fertilization of ideas experiences and practices, away from any pressure of commissions and the market, just like the dreamy days of initial learning and training. The mixed group of artists including some renowned names and some younger cutting edge ones, straddle across the genres to present us with paintings, photographs, sculptures, installations, videos and interactive art as well as fashion garments, food and functional objects in varied media and scales on this inclusive and cohesive forum. Convergence of art and fashion makes a feast for the eye, mind and body. The exhibition features a range of fashion garments and accessories, especially created for the show, that adorn the body and there are paintings, sculptures, installations and new media art that challenge the intellect and add to the aesthetics. It encompasses various designed objects as well as artifacts of utilitarian merit.

Amongst the ten visual artists in the exhibition there is a large fiberglass brightly coloured sculpture of foot tapping legs of a young girl by Dileep Sharma. A symbol of modernity and pop culture, she is seductively poised as her mini skirt flares up in the air to bring the exuberant pink of the inside out and show off her yellow panty with precisely painted imagery in place, playing with its own shadow on the shiny plate below. A resident of Bollywood city, Kunwar ji then goes back to his roots in Rajasthan to work with craftsmen and get his intricate colourful imagery of provocatively playful female legs in variable posturing engraved in woodblocks for hand block printing on his fashion art piece, the evergreen saree, in georgette.

In a similar pop and Bollywood culture influenced streak appears art of Baba Anand. Shuttling between the East and West, his artwork as an installation of 22 framed boxes that he has been working on since 2004, are painted in glossy laboratory white like the ones in a science laboratory. There is a clear imprint of his bohemian and open mindscape and his global exposure in the imagery and forms of his work. The ‘Life Boxes’ with painted mixed media imagery glued to the wood- threads, grub, wheels, money, luxury brands, advertisements, slogans, wax dolls, photos etc, create a collage to fathom the “culture of consumption and consumption of culture… a clinical examination of Western society, or rather, looking to one side or the other of the Atlantic-- to France or the United States --the first artistic anthropology of the habits of the Global Village at the dawn of the 21st Century” to quote Jerome Neutre. This trained fashion designer, whose current practice engages more with fine art works in a very Bollywood and kitsch influenced heavily embellished oeuvre, comes to the fore in his rock star gold jacket specially designed and made for the exhibition as his functional and wearable exhibit.

A contrast of sorts is offered in Satish Gupta’s ‘Shwe De Gong’ meditative creations in Zen spirit that were inspired by his recent visit to Myanmar. The icon featured in the painted canvas is also the central figure in his fabric creation for adorning the body. The shawl in silk and wool fabric specially created by ‘INDIA INDIA’ and its skilled crafts persons bring the artist’s vision to life in this maroon and black handmade appliqué worked shawl with Buddha images superimposed to compliment the painting. The two together follow the grid of Cosmic Matrix series that has continued to engage and inspire the artist’s creative energies for some years now. And on the symbiotic relationship between art and fashion the artist believes, “… creativity cannot be restricted to any one medium. What is expressed is of value through whichever medium the artist chooses for a particular work”.

The engagement with iconography appears in a different frame in artist Seema Kohli’s painting that makes a fine blend of myth and feminist energy with a poetic elegance. Her densely painted canvas filled with nature and semi anthromorphic forms and a sensuous feminine figure prominently placed centrally, recreate mythology associated with the concept of procreation ‘Hiranya garbha’ and the ‘Golden Womb’. To reflect on a woman’s search and urge for beauty she presents a complete attire in her fashion creation with inputs from fashion designer Poonam Bajaj. A hand embroidered and richly embellished jacket, a digitally printed silk Lycra body suit to wear under it and a suede embroidered clutch bag to go with it- together connect up well with the feminist streak in her art.

In a widely different mode appear the abstract renditions of Paris based artist Sujata Bajaj whose work remains firmly rooted in the soil of the land of her birth but exudes a touch of the West, where she is based now, in its marked finesse. Her richly coloured canvas covered from all ends with evocative abstract impressionist markings of panchtatva or the five natural elements accompanied by calligraphic, textual and textural interventions looks bright and alive drawing in the viewer. She complements it with a clutch handbag in leather made by an Italian designer which has a small canvas strip hand painted by Sujata built into its cover. Easy to carry and use, the handbag makes an interesting companion to the painting on the wall.

Manu Parekh known for his still life and Banaras series of paintings turns to Lord Ganesha for this exhibition. The painted canvas featuring Ganesha in red yellow and green has orange and pink smeared all over his benevolent face, broad forehead, long winding laddoo holding trunk, pot belly and multiple hands. The bright eyed generous God presents a picture perfect lovable image with an interesting touch of the artist’s unmistakable signature style. His rendition of the lord in a smaller work on cardboard is beautifully turned into a locket given his experience as design consultant for the Weavers’ Service Center and then the Handicraft and Handloom Export Corporation of India. The locket strung together as a necklace makes a wearable piece possibly for special occasions, may be for invoking the Lord for good luck!

Landscape is at the centre of all that Paramjit Singh creates. His gentle explorations in subtle colours with laboriously textured thick brush work on canvas re-call quiet pictures of silent valleys, flowing streams and water bodies, rising sun or moonlit nights, hills and mountain- scapes, walkways in-between tall trees, thick forests or streetscapes in autumn covered with falling leaves. The painting in the exhibition explores a similar other worldly dream scape beyond the surrounding chaotic urban world in a haven of its own. The master artist then works to select a section of his painting transposing it into digital imagery that gets printed onto fabric as a Stoll, usable by any individual with taste of any age and of either sex. The artist’s remarkable ability to work across media and domains is exemplified in the two different creations on show in the exhibition.

Ravi Kumar Kashi, who has specialized in making his own handmade paper and working with varied materials and in different genres, has created a series of human torsos made out of cotton, jute fibre and paper. Reflecting on the times we live in the visual culture of media re-presentations and hype; have recurrently featured in his ‘non-linear’ artistic career that encompasses collage, moulded paper sculptures, assemblages, paintings, photography and new media work. The torso or armory of ‘Doubting Thomas’ is linked to his fashion art wearable T shirts aptly titled ‘Inside Out’. There is an uncanny resemblance between the two. The T shirts with images of the inner body parts painted in water proof ink and the torso both reveal what we hide by wearing clothes or covering up. The work is also a comment on the fragility of human body and the concept of regeneration.

Yusuf Arakkal an artist working across media and disciplines appreciates the bond and inter dependence between art and design and I quote, “We all know before fashion designing became specialized it was artists who created fashion and designed costumes. For example Michelangelo had designed the beautiful out fits for the Swiss guards at Vatican that are still worn by them”. Fashion designers or fashion artists just like visual artists work to bring high aesthetics in their creations. Yusuf has painted two canvases that feature familiar wearable garments a jacket and trousers. The red hanger and the red line running through each of the two canvases bring a painterly touch to animate the two canvases. His light blue shirt in soft denim, adorning an image of his work from Child series of paintings, makes a wearable fashion garment with unisex appeal.

The role that models play in giving the designed fashion wear its full glory is often limited to their appearance in ramp walks and glossy magazines or advertising world. Young Viveek Sharma features a European model that he met during a recent residency in Germany in his oil on canvas on display in the show. He then cooks a meal and prepares the table showing the model waiting at the window and titling the whole installation ‘Who is coming for dinner tonight?’ In this in-your-face interactive art work that brings the fashion design and art domains together in a performative mode, the artist makes a telling comment about the uncertainty in a model’s life. It is also a reflection on fragility of human relationships in contemporary society. Another dimension is added to the work given that the ‘Zanana Table Chair’ a part of the installation, is the creation of designer duo Sahil and Sarthak who used local material and ethnic wear to make this ultra modern luxury furniture.

The ten fashion artists likewise play with their creative energies to embody art beside design and fashion within its folds. While Ritu Kumar takes to paint, brush and mixed media featuring her love of the fabric and colours, along with an elaborately textured ornate costume; JJ Valaya takes recourse to photography to document his long time association with a form in addition to his signature fashion creation. In a mix and match of everyday materials and street culture Manish Arora inspired by Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein creates his own flamboyant and contemporary design while his name sake from Mumbai Manish Malhotra known for his designs for many of the Bollywood film stars, showcases a couple of his ornate creations. Gaurav Gupta juxtaposes his garment with an installation to explore “the blurred line between the accepted norm of functional and non functional”. Himanshu Dogra and Play Clan give us “an experiential walkthrough showing different processes and development of an art work from concept to print....as a garment, a painting or a utility item….” Malini Ramani’s garment and installation with a video; flesh out the ambience that puts the two into their context. Rajesh Pratap Singh’s sculpture of a meditating man made out of scissors and his men’s wear suit worn by one of his associates both illustrate his love for simplicity with substance. Shilpa Chavan or little Shilpa as she is more popularly known styles a hat and an installation made with humble material sourced from local street market to turn it into a spectacular sculpture. Varun Sardana in his fashion designs takes things off onto a theatrical platform using masks turning fashion into a performance “...the theatre of fashion....a play between wearable garments and their heightened presentation”. Vidyun Singh in her essay in this publication elaborates further on the context and oeuvre of fashion artists and their creations.

The collection features several new art works across the genres, all aesthetically endowed and technically virtuous, created especially for the exhibition. They respond to the concept behind the exhibition, with a fresh outlook, as fashion creations and fine art works coalesce for a free exchange of creative energies. The two domains, each influencing the other, with art taking a lead at times and fashion in the forefront at others, are seen to co-habit art galleries and museum spaces today. Historically too, both the forms have sustained their links with the society as a part and parcel of its time. There is no difference between painting on a canvas and drawing on a paper to design an original pattern. Artists are known to patronize fashion designers while fashion designers have been traditional collectors of art as was the case with French couturier Paul Poiret who collected works by Picasso, Matisse, Dufy and Rouault amongst others. Artists are also known to work on designing costumes and sets for theater as did Neelima Sheikh for one of Anuradha Kapoor’s productions. MF Husain and Laxma Goud have both designed clothes. Artist Sanjay Bhattacharya started his career as a designer and Shuvaprasanna as an illustrator. The influence has flowed both ways as fashion imitates art and art imitates life and life continues to get impacted by both. Art and Design

Vidyun Singh

’Some designers consider themselves artists,but few artists consider themselves designers’1

The debate about Fashion and Art raged unabated for a long time. While a leading designer like Rajesh Pratap Singh may self deprecatingly declare designers as being nothing more than darzi’s and Manish Arora is proud to flaunt a large tattoo on his arm proudly declaring himself to the world as a ‘Ladies Tailor’,others like Tarun Tahiliani have moved and won a case in the Mumbai High Court granting fashion designers artist category under section 80RR of the Income tax Law.

Stripped of all the psychology, philosophy and conceptual semantics,the subject is essentially a choice between functional and free aesthetics. ‘Fashion by its very definition and demands is cyclical, changing and hence impermanent “the capacity to transform is one of the foundations of fashion.’2 ‘Whilst fashion is oriented to the passing seasons and thus subject to constant change, art defines itself as precisely the opposite, as directed to the eternal, the immortal, to lofty insights. The functional aims of fashion and design, and their relations with and reliance on commerce, seem to hinder the kind of “detached pleasure” (Kant) that is needed for the autonomy of the visual arts.’3 Artists and fashion designers who straddle the genres have been increasingly smudging the boundaries between painting and photography, architecture and sculpture, film, video and theatre - or even dance and performance when creating fashion shows.

Working with fashion designers as producers and choreographers for their catwalk presentations for over two decades, one has seen this ‘smudging of boundaries’ time and time again. For me some are ‘artists that have chosen fashion as a career’. For them as Susannah Frankel wrote of Hussein Chalayan “fashion is an applied art in as much as it represents the employment of an artistic sensibility to create functional objects, however inspired or inspiring they may be.”4 The close working relationship with designers has afforded one with the opportunity to see their inter disciplinary mindset at work and observe the process of creation from inception to completion. I have seen the inspiration for a collection start as a simple hand drawn artwork,being layered, textured, treated, dipped, dyed, distressed, burnt and worried till the designer is satisfied that it is a representative translation of his oeuvre. It is nothing if not a work of art…and then I have seen the same being pared down, dictated by the demands of functionality, durability, washability, affordability and more importantly ‘producability’ to a ‘mere shadow of its former self’!

I have seen a designer draping a dummy, a master of his craft part wizard part mathematician….. creating folds, pleats, curves, creases and angularities…a sculpture in fabric, that stuns you with the sheer poetry of its form…….but again… function steps in and the garment that eventually leaves the atelier bears but a modicum of resemblance to the muse.

The same is true of some designers when it comes to the presentation of their creations to the public gaze. While some are satisfied to let the product speak for itself and its desirability be decided by market demands, others are driven to share the nuances and joy of their creative process with their future stakeholders.

These are the designers who will want to ‘set’ the unveiling of their labour into an experiential presentation supported by elements that can recreate the spirit of their inspiration. Supporting audio and visual aids, live music, film projection, performing artists, sculptures, installations …all abeting the presentaion and enveloping it in an aura that covertly and overtly sends you subliminal, cerebral stimuli.

Today the lines between Art and Fashion are no longer just blurred but there could be said to be a Crossover. September 2010 saw Hussein Chalayan exhibiting his works as an artist and sculptor at Spring Studios and Lisson Gallery,London. Closer home, our fashion designers are exploring their creativity in diverse disciplines away from their fashion mainstay.Rohit Bal has been awarded for his stunning interior design for Veda restaurant, Manish Arora is designing things as diverse as Cabannas at a luxury resort and limited edition high end crockery collections.Rajesh Pratap Singh’s metal sculptures are finding their way into art collectors galleries and JJ Valaya is all set to open his first photography exhibition in 2011.

Designers began to storm the art bastion some years ago. ‘….. in the 1980s, Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake produced sculptural dresses, and photo-artists Cindy Sherman or Nan Goldin accepted commissions from the paragons of fashion extravagance, “Comme des Garçons” and “Matsuda“. Installation and performance artists Sylvie Fleury or Vanessa Beecroft even made direct references in their works to the glamour world of fashion, while artists from the fashion branch, such as Peter Lindbergh, began to be exhibited in art museums.The large-scale biennial in Florence in 1996 entitled “Looking at Fashion” not only presented a synoptical view of the relationship between art and fashion from the beginning of the last century to the present day. In addition, contemporary artists and fashion designers produced collaborative works for various locations at the exhibition. Similarly the retrospective “Addressing the Century: 100 Years of Art & Fashion” at the Hayward Gallery in London and Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg in 1999 examined the interactions between functional and free aesthetics, and highlighted their interpenetration. This development reached its initial climax in 2000 in the highly controversial exhibition on fashion designer Giorgio Armani at the New York Guggenheim Museum, which subsequently travelled to Bilbao and later the Nationalgalerie in Berlin.’5

Pics: Vidyun Singh “I feel that designers who are passionate about their work should try and dedicate time to create “art” for art’s sake and train themselves to express emotion and feeling through their designs. Uniqueness comes from passion and not adhering to any rules that may force the artist to make even one stroke that was unintended. Commercialism has been dictating the course of design and has made a clear and thick line between the artist and the designer. Following trends and applying imagery based on specific needs and goals is the easy part, allowing yourself to express a message or emotion free of any specifications is where true beauty is born. Designers who are looking for the next big trend or who want to be the one to create that trend must create chaotic and truly original pieces to display their artistic prowess and then apply those unique methods to their design at work, and I think this will create a truly harmonious balance between art and design’6

The designers who are showing in ‘Convergence’ are some from among those who have a passion that goes beyond fashion as we know it. They have nurtured the artist in them and fanned the flames of their creativity. While some have incorporated their art into their fashions, others have kept their art and fashion in what may appear as two different worlds, even as it influences and shapes each other. We have a selection of works here from designers that ranges from wearable art, to fine art, decorative art, photography and sculpture.

The show Convergence – Art and Fashion is an opportunity to be able to provide a space for a run of the ‘spirit of free aesthetics’ unhindered by functionality, trends,colour-forecasts and market price points for the designers.

1. John O’Nolan-Web Post 2.Roland Barthes- The Fashion System 3.Bettina Ruhrberg -2005 4. Susannah Frankel-The Independent September -2010 5. Bettina Ruhrberg 6. Art Vs Design by Craig A.Elimeliah - Jan 2006 Baba Anand

Born 1961 at Srinagar in Kashmir did his graduation in Commerce from the Islamia College of Science and Commerce there before studying for his Diploma in Fashion Design from the National Institute of Fashion Design in Delhi. Though Baba started his career as a fashion designer and had a successful few years working in the fashion industry, he switched his medium in response to a personal quest and his playing field over the last couple of decade has been mainly in the art domain. The impact of fashion and pop culture and his love for the world of Indian cinema is evident in work with vintage film posters, oleographs and lithographs. Painting in mixed- media, creating collages and installations, his work is marked for its vibrant colours, decorative patterns, engaging designs, juxtaposed materials and different embellishments including flowers and other unusual three-dimensional objects. There is a freshness and originality, in creations that encompass diverse themes from Bollywood to religious icons and from popular matter to vintage oleographs. His Krisna and other Hindu deities are decorated with sequins, crystals and gold and silver dust while his series of paintings inspired by IPL cricket has his kiss imprints on the canvases! There is a match and mix of the whimsical and jubilant, classical styles with a glitzy stylish approach and the spiritual with the irreverent. The richly textured work appears seductive and playful as it crosses boundaries and challenges assumptions to celebrate the power of the spirit and the kitsch. Winner of the Recherche Libre Scholarship for advanced research in the field of Art and Collage in Paris, Baba has traveled extensively and his work has been exhibited in significant shows at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, London, New York and Cannes amongst others. It has also been featured in many international publications such as British Vogue, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, India Today, Nice Matin, Elle and Air Canada Magazine. Baba is currently also engaged in creating personalized portraits in his own unique collage form with photographer Hugo Tillman. The artist who has a home and a studio on the outskirts of Delhi is an itinerant traveler who works in different continents. Life Boxes | Mixed media installation 22 boxes 13.5” x 10.5” each | 2004 Rockstar gold jacket | Jute & cotton | 31” x 20” | 2010 dileep sharma

Born 1974 at Mandawar in Rajasthan, Dileep Sharma did his graduation in art from the Rajasthan School of Art in Jaipur and Master’s Degree in Fine Art from Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai followed by an Artists’ Residency at the Glasgow Print studio Scotland that helped refine his technique further. A print maker and painter his repertoire also includes a fine collection drawings and watercolours mostly on paper that make dramatic pictorial narratives about contemporary society with a touch of satire. Under his pseudonym Kunwarji his adventures extend to include sculptures and experiments in other media in a heady mix of pop culture and sexuality featuring contemporary society and its socio political undercurrents in an interface between mythologies and today’s urban reality. There is a clear influence of miniature painting and folk arts with fun underpinning all his densely rendered work that includes divergent subjects from religious icons to mundane objects. Dileep’s colourful motifs within fleeting/ on- the-move images coupled with their cropping, fragmentation and inter mixing of the old and the new, make a satire on modern world dominated by advertisements and media. Exhibited in solo shows at Bose Pacia Kolkata, Keumasan and other galleries in Seoul and Hashimito in Tokyo besides group exhibitions in other Indian and international metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, London, Vienna, Dubai, New York and Hong Kong, the artist’s work has been featured in Busan Art Edition Fair, Jaipur Virasat festival and Asian Art Biennale, Bangladesh. Recipient of awards including the LKA National, Art Society of India Mumbai and Honorable Mention at the 6th International Biennial of Print Bharat Bhavan Bhopal, his work is held in important public, corporate and private collections in India and abroad. Dileep lives in Mumbai and works out of his studio at home.

My Pavilion | Acrylic on fibreglass, ss plate 54” x 40” x 36” | 2010 Kunwarji’s saree | Hand block printing on georgette | 48” x 218” | 2010 Gaurav Gupta

Central Saint Martin’s London, Alumnus. Gaurav’s graduate collection was awarded ‘The Future of Couture’ trophy at Altaroma Altamoda, Rome Couture Fashion Week and with ‘The Roots of Creativity’ title at the Mittelmoda Fashion Awards (Italy). Two years later, he returned to Mittelmoda as their youngest jury member. His earlier work, while studying at NIFT (Delhi) in 2000 had been awarded at the Makuhari Grandprix in Japan and at the Admiralty Needle in Russia. After working with designers like Hussein Chalayan and Tristan Webber. Gaurav, subsequently, took up the post of Art Director at the Turkish prêt brand LTB. He debuted his eponymous label at India Fashion Week in 2006. With this collection, Gaurav’s aesthetic sensibility was acknowledged for being groundbreaking in terms of its distinct garment construction and untempered experimentation with form and fabric. He was seen as an overnight success and was awarded Breakthrough designer at several occasions such as MTV Style Awards, Zoom Awards and Kingfisher Fashion Awards (India). Since then, the brand has been featured on the covers of Vogue, L’Officiel, Elle, Marie Clare, Femina and M magazine (India). The Italian design journal Creativita (Colleczioni Group) lists Gaurav among ‘designers who set global trends’. Besides women’s prêt-a-porter line, Gaurav Gupta brand has ventured into couture, menswear and kidswear, opened a flagship store and has recently collaborated with Swarovski on a line of handcrafted jewelry pieces. The brand’s collections are available at Alan Bilzerian, H. Lorenzo, Anastasia (U.S.), L’eclaireur (Paris), Myst (Hong Kong), amongst others and selected stores across India. In 2006, Gaurav was invited to showcase an example of his couture work at the Biennial Art Festival (Portugal). While his sensibility is finding appreciation at stores that value authenticity and opinion, his work is parallely being seen as a movement in art. On display are five garments overlaid with projections of film strips images that give an idea of how the garments were conceptualized. A surreal juxtaposition of the functional and dysfunctional aspects of the garments and their dynamic evolving forms as kinetic works of art Juxtaposition of functional & dysfunctional aspects of garments and their dynamic evolving forms as kinetic works of art. JJ Valaya

N.I.F.T. Delhi,Alumnus. Twenty years back, he stepped into a professional sphere that did not exist in India - Fashion. It would be safe to say, therefore, that he was privileged enough to be a part of the pioneering group of contemporary Indian fashion designers…the ones who started it all for modern India. His journey in fashion has been a series of successful firsts. J J Valaya’s creations combine royal opulence with innovative craftsmanship and modern sensibilities.The future of the past, a fusion that he calls an inspired “balance between our rich past and our elegantly mad, yet glorious future.” The House of Valaya spans a wide range of Menswear Womenswear offerings .From Couture, Bridal and Trousseau,Diffusion,Pret to accessories and home furnishings. He has to his credit several successful solo fashion shows in New York, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Johannesburg as well as in most major Indian cities. Interestingly however, alongside a career in fashion, he has indulged in and enjoyed himself tremendously in a parallel existence, in the company of a camera. Photography to him may have started as a hobby, one that he has cherished and pursued with great enthusiasm. For him,taking pictures, is a wonderfully curious expression of unbridled energy. JJ Valaya’s debut as an artist/photographer is slated for the early part of 2011 with shows slated to be held in Delhi and Mumbai. But for this event and via this platform, he has agreed to create a special set of works based on the humble yet indispensable tool in the world of fashion: The Dress Form. “Photographing this particular dress form was special for me, since, its the original one I started my career with and has been a faithful friend and a loyal companion in my creative journey. Battered, bruised...(she’s also braved a fire!) but still continuing to be a part of my life!”...JJ Valaya These 2 works are part of an edition of 6 (each). They will be the First JJ Valaya photographic artworks to be a part of an art show. Photographic artworks | Archival inks on archival paper | 36” x 36” each (signed limited edition) Little Shilpa

Central St Martins London, Alumnus. Little Shilpa is both the nickname and label of the multi faceted Shilpa Chavan. Trained as a milliner at Central St Martins, followed by a stint at Philip Treacy, she is milliner,stylist,designer and artist. Little Shilpa started out as an accessory brand specializing in collaborations with designers at fashion week shows and fashion shoots From there, she graduated to becoming the only accessories label to have its very own show at Fashion Weeks in India , London and Berlin. Her inspiration comes from all that they call street and styling helps to manifest that image in a more realistic and edited form. Her head pieces are like a canvas as they personify an aspect of her visual influence from observation to execution. Shilpa’s designs have been featured in Vogue, Another Man, Crash, Vogue Homme Japan and Mixte to name but a few. She also works as an installation artist, crafting pieces that take a local/ vintage thought as well as raw materia. Her accessories are often scaled down versions of her installation works and vice versa. Her art works have been exhibited in India , France, London , Barcelona , Berlin & Seoul. Presently, Shilpa works out of Mumbai, designing and handcrafting one-off pieces for exhibits , retail and runway shows. This piece is about being a woman .. how she multi-tasks .. going about the house .. working .. getting pregnant .. making babies .. and yet looking beautiful the headpiece has wheels that were constantly in motion .. thats her brain .. constantly thinking .. the organza shapes are her wombs .. with babies in them the backpieces is stuff she uses all the time but thru all of this there is a mirror always in front of her .. she’s always beautiful .. Untitled | Mixed media | Dimensions variable (height: 76 inches, width: 55 inches) | 2010 Malini ramani

Malini Ramani’s carrer span straddled a range of new and interesting fields before ‘fashion fell into her lap’. After studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising at F.I.T. in New York, she came back to India in 1990. She experimented with a number of exciting and successful creative pursuits that were brand new to India, such as Radio, TV, Nightclubs and writing a very popular Gossip Column. She found that fashion was the combination of everything she loved. She discovered her passion for making women feel and look glamorous by designing sexy clothes for them, and hit the Indian fashion scene with her “Rock star meets Indian Princess” collection with her debut show at the inaugural LIFW in 2000. Malini’s absolute insistence on designing only the clothes that she would wear has always been her “Fashion Mantra”. Her expansive life allows her the luxury of traveling throughout the year, and she borrows something from different cultures that she is inspired by. Besides fashion design, she runs a 17,000 square ft. restaurant in Goa, called “Congo”, which has already been chosen by Conde` Nast`s “Traveller” magazine as one of the best night spots in the world. She is also one of the designers chosen to design an aircraft for Vijay Mallya`s `Kingfisher airlines”. Malini`s dream is to have her own Resort boutiques on magical tropical islands around the globe. For her installation for the exhibition Malini has worked on a light that captures the spirit of just such a magical tropical island. Metallic palm tree chandlier with crystals and beads (work in progress) Manish arora

N.I.F.T. Delhi,Alumnus. Manish Arora has been labeled as a defining voice of Indian fashion. His innovative and modern design approach spans wide and divergent mediums and brands. His design collaborations are indicative of the versatility and popularity of his creativity. They range from Footwear for Reebok,Eyewear for Inspecs, Make-up for Mac, Watches for Swatch to high end crockery for Good Earth among others. He has shown at London fashion Week, exhibited his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum London,been invited by the Minister of Culture France to exhibited his work for two months to the public at the windows of Palais Royal in Paris, in association with Ministry of Tourism India, shown 9 consecutive times at Paris Fashion Week is a member of the Chambre syndicale du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers and today is a well recognized name in the International fashion scene. His clothes have been on the covers of national and international fashion publications on individualistic and iconic dressers ranging from Kate Moss ,Katy Perry,Rihanna, M.I.A to Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. From his very first showing at India Fashion Week in 2002, his fashion line was picked up and stocked by Maria Luisa in Paris. Today he is stocked in 75 well known stores worldwide including his own flagship stores. The exhibit is an amalgamation of Manish Arora’s most memorable creations during the course of his career. Witness, up close and personal, iconic embroideries that bear Manish’s signature cornucopia of colours and innovative surface ornamentation. Also displayed, is the Butterfly Dress, a part of his legendary ‘Pop Art’ collection and his first showcase at Paris Fashion Week SS’08. Butterfly Dress, part of ‘Pop Art’ collection showcased at Paris Fashion Week SS’08 Manish malhotra

Manish Malhotra’s areas of creativity span the broad spheres of Bollywood design, styling, diffusion and the everlasting bridal and couture. His diffusion couture label ‘MANISH MALHOTRA’ has become a hot seller since its launch in 2004. The label is a hot favorite when it comes to dressing up India’s most beautiful and glamorous women in Bollywood to the most stylish men and many more who swear by the designer’s acumen. He has also styled and designed for Brides and Bridegrooms all over the world, giving them something out-of-the-world for their big day. He has designed for about 1000 films, and is the Winner of the 1st FilmFare award for costumes for the movie Rangeela he has been felicitated with nearly 35 awards. A highly coveted designer in Bollywood, he has also styled Michael Jackson and his brother Jermaine Jackson & wife Halima, Van Damme, Reese Witherspoon in Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair and Kylie Minogue. He has carved a niche for himself in the South Indian Film Industry too, by styling the look of Superstar Rajnikant for the Blockbuster Film Sivaji, The Boss and currently Robot. Besides films & fashion. Manish has also been associated with styling the entire look for Shahrukh Khan’s IPL team Kolkatta Knight Riders, & styling up market leisure properties both in India & New York! He currently retails across Bombay, Delhi & Dubai among others. Fashion and art exhibit will be an amalgamation of old world tradition and contemporary style, true to what the label represents. The display is a tribute to the tradition, culture and celebration of Indian weddings and shall reincorporate the new bridal color of the season, shades of emerald green. Rich, opulent, traditional, replete with grandeur and majesty. Antique gold embroidery on velvet (work in progress) MANU PAREKH

Born 1939 at Ahmedabad, Manu Parekh studied drawing and painting from Sir JJ School of Art in Bombay. With a career spanning varied experiences ranging from painting to acting to designing he worked as Art Designer at the Weavers’ Service Center in Bombay and then as Design Consultant for the Handicraft and Handloom Export Corporation of India, that took him on extensive travels throughout India besides Europe, USSR and elsewhere, before turning to full time painting. Manu Parekh’s deft handling of his imagery, texture, palette and the variety of subjects that encompass his creative outpouring; are manifest in his amazing Banaras series and still life works. The energy of the organic form and the inherent sexuality within the forms are intangible elements in this prolific artist’s paintings that provoke viewers to take note of the world around with its volatile energy and the attendant emotions of anguish or joy. In his skillful brush strokes the ghats, the river, the boats, the temples and the surroundings are captured to high light the culture and mood of the city and its people. Equally remarkable for its play with light and shade echoing the changing colours and moods are his works in still life and flower series that present a picture perfect imagery. Recipient of the Padma Shree, National Award of the LKA and the President’s Silver Plaque among other honours, Manu Parekh has been associated with various Indian art institutions and international projects. He has had several solo and group exhibitions including those held at the NGMA Delhi and Smithsonian in USA besides all over India. Two books have recently been brought out on this Ganesha | Acrylic on canvas | 36” x 36” | 2010 artist who has also been the subject of a film. His work is held in many public and private collections in India and abroad. Manu lives and works in Delhi. Hand painted pendant set in silver (work in progress) pARAMJIT SINGH

Professor Paramjit Singh, born 1935 at Amritsar in Punjab, studied art at the Delhi school of art and learnt print making at Atelier Nord Oslo Norway. He taught art to young aspiring artists at the Department of Fine Art Jamia Milia Islamia University in Delhi retiring to take to full time painting in pursuit of his passion. A founder member of ‘The Unknown’, a group of young painters and sculptors based in Delhi, Paramjit is essentially a landscape painter, known for his masterly studies of nature. Featuring the mysteries of nature, his landscapes appear other worldly given their evocative silence. There are shadows and tones that evolve and dissolve; endowing the paintings with a mystical aura. The thick green blue yellow red and other pigments fill up the whole space, to re-create textured landscapes of woods, trees, flowers, grass, hills, sky and streams adorning a tactile feel with non specific identity or location in his compositions. Though inspired by the Impressionists, his oeuvre that seems reminiscent of the pastoral peasantry that he grew up in is his own. Working in oils on canvas and pastels and charcoal on paper, in short brisk strokes with lines and colours his surface is coated in thick pigment to create impressions of natural forms adorning a colourful tactile appearance set amidst a lyrical musical ambience. Paramjit who prefers to work in series as a continuum, following his first solo exhibition in 67 at Triveni Untitled | Oil on canvas | 36” x 36” | 2010 Gallery in Delhi, has had nearly 30 solo and 50 group exhibitions in various Indian metros and abroad including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Singapore, London, Norway, Germany, Tokyo and Belgium. Winner of the National Award and participant at art festivals in USSR Baghdad and Israel amongst others, he has also painted a 450 sq. ft. environmental room in Bombay and was the Commissioner for the Indian participation at the Art Festival of Pakistan in Lahore. His paintings that have come under the hammer at several important art auctions are held in several public and private collections. The artist lives and works in New Delhi. Stole (work in progress) PLAY CLAN

Play Clan is a collective of artists, founded by Himanshu Dogra, that combine fashion, art and design to create products for the home, apparel, gifts and stationery inspired by the vibrant color and local culture of India. Play Clan celebrates life and reflects the energy and inspiration taken from its people and everyday observations. Play Clan prefers to remain faceless, and “evolve like clones who think alike about issues, but voice it differently.” says Himanshu. Their work has blazed an impressive trail. Play Clan Won Elle Décor’s EDIDA Award for India’s Best Young Talent in 2008. They were invited for Design Showcase at Talents in Ambiente, Frankfurt and showcase in ‘Talents from the world’ at ZONA TORTONA, MILAN in 2009. 2010 saw a number of diverse collaborations. A collaboration with the newly launched PARK Hyderabad to create the complete in-room communication based on the NIZAM’s of Hyderabad, with ELLE India to illustrate a 12 page editorial feature for the Annual issue and with Travel + Leisure magazine to create the cover of their annual issue 2010. They have recently collaborated with Paul Smith for an exhibit titled ‘Del-Lon-Del, a Tale of Two Cities’. Play Clan has been picked by Viewpoint magazine as one of the influential brands from the BRIC nations changing global trends -2010. square |skwe( )r| noun a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles. Play Clan explores the transition of a form and its resulting function while highlighting its graphic quality and the resultant perception. A simple square is used to illustrate these transformations, crossing Art X Fashion. Dance masks from India are graphically interpreted to create patterns that form the canvas for the installation. Square | Dance masks rajesh pratap singh

N.I.F.T Delhi,Alumnus. Currently based in New Delhi, Rajesh Pratap Singh belongs to Rajasthan. Subsequent to his graduation from NIFT Delhi he worked in the Fashion Industry for two years in India and Italy before introducing his own line of men’s and women’s clothing in 1997. Rajesh has over the years created his unique signature style that subtly draws from his Indian roots to craft artisinal garments that stand apart due to their faultlessly clean lines, careful detailing and international silhouettes. His work epitomizes simplicity, yet on closer look reveals his obsessive attention to detail. Rajesh’s reserve reflects in his styling which combines the modern with the traditional in an understated design aesthetic, with a global appeal. Rajesh is closely associated with Indian fabric mills and has had developmental and research based collaborations with several of them. Textile experimentation spans both the very high tech as well as the low tech. Rajesh is a recipient of several awards in recognition of his design and creativity. He received the Kingfisher Designer of the Year Award both in 2001 and 2005. He also received the Best Menswear Designer award at the Fashion Awards held in 1996. Elle (May 2007) named him “Designer of the Year” after the AW08 India Fashion Week. Rajesh has been named “Designer of the Year” in the recently concluded first GQ Men of the Year Awards September 2009. Newsweek June 2009 named Rajesh as one of India’s most talented designers. Internationally, Rajesh has been showcasing his collections in Paris and Milan. He has done catwalk shows in the past at the prestigious Paris Fashion Week and is represented internationally through showrooms in Paris and Milan. Rajesh had also undertaken costume designing for the French Opera “Padmavati by Albert Roussel”. The opera was staged at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris as well as in Spoletto in Italy in 2008. Domestic retail presence takes the form of six standalone flagship stores in India and select multibrand boutiques. Internationally the brand retails with some of the finest stores in the world. Rajesh has forayed into installations and objects which border on art. From the scissor installations encompassing the cage like atmosphere in his store at DLF Emporio to the Bastar figurines that adorned the ceiling to the flaming red wall design at the newest addition to Delhi’s culinary circuit “Kainoosh” in DLF Promenade. His last few shows have depicted objects of art such as a bicycle made of scissors which was featured as a ramp prop and now lies at Chennai’s fashion destination “Evoluzione”. The front façade of his Mumbai store in Khar has a meditating man totally made of welded iron scissors. And March 2009 saw a smashed metallic chandelier as a centre feature on the ramp around which the garments were displayed. Meditating man | Installation made with scissors ravi kumaR kashi

Born 1968 in Bangalore Ravikumar Kashi did his BFA from the College of Fine Arts, Bangalore, followed by an MFA in Printmaking from MSU, Baroda. He has also done his Master’s in English Literature and studied handmade papermaking first with J. Parry at Glasgow School of Art in the UK, with Charles Wallace India Trust Grant and more recently in Seoul on Hanji paper making from an old master with a fellowship from South Korea. Besides his freelance art practice he also writes, curates and teaches at the RV College of Engineering, Dept. of Architecture and at the University Dept of Visual Arts in Bangalore as a Visiting Faculty. These multifarious experiences are seen to meander through Ravi’s artistic journey that is marked for its experimentation in a combination of figuration, abstraction and representation using different methods, mediums and materials. Ranging from graphics to paintings to sculpture to collage, photography, digital art and installations, his concept based work could appear in any shape and form be it torsos, armoury, books, T-shirts, masks or simply wall works. Often using handmade paper pulp that he has specialized in, he makes the viewer rethink about objects and the meaning associated with the images. Juxtaposing images in hybrid context and ambiguous arrangements, socio political issues around consumerism and advertisements, the changing patterns of city life; are raised using cartoons, myths, newspaper reports and anything and everything that catches the artist’s fancy. Besides handmade paper, Ravi has also worked with glass and found materials to make collages, assemblages and interactive public art projects that have taken him across the globe. Recipient of the College of Fine Art Annual Exhibition Award, Gadgil Memorial and National LKA Award amongst others, Ravi’s work has been exhibited in over 15 solo shows and several group shows in India and abroad including 10th Triennale Delhi, 11th Asian Art Biennale Dhaka, Santa Fe International Art Fair, New Mexico, Shanghai Art fair, Korea International Art Fair (KIAF) in Seoul, Munich, USA and Hong Kong besides others. His work is held in the collections of National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi and at various other corporate and private collections. Ravi lives and works in Bangalore. Doubting Thomas Torso installation paper pulp and mixed media 25” x 16” each | 2008/09 Inside out | T-Shirt hand painted with waterproof ink | Size medium | 2010 (limited edition of six) ritu kumar

Briarcliffe College U.S.A. Alumnus (Art History and Museology). Ritu Kumar one of India’s foremost designers has developed a unique style of her own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. Ritu’s understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism. Ritu, who began her work with four hand-block printers and two tables, in a small village near Calcutta forty years ago was the first woman to introduce the ‘boutique’ culture in India under the brand name ‘Ritu’. While Ritu Kumar’s forte lies in traditional Indian clothes that draw heavily on the textile and embroidery heritage of India, and remain classics of their kind she has evolved another style for the young buyer, a collection that, in her words, has “redefined traditional handwriting to meet the changing needs of the new generation. The inspiration of these garments is basic Indian motifs, prints and embroideries but with the usage of a wide range of western silhouettes mingled with Indian styles. Winner of innumerable awards in India for her pioneering work in reviving master craftsmansip, she has also been honoured by the French government with the “ chevalier des arts et des letters” for her contribution to the Indian Fashion Industry and her interaction with the French fashion world. She has authored ‘ Costumes and Textiles of Royal India’ published by Christies of London, which is a definitive and academic fashion history text. Today she has outlets in most of the cities in India. Mixed media painting (work in progress) satish gupta

Born 1947 in Delhi, Satish Gupta trained at the College of Art in the city followed by study of graphics on a scholarship in Paris where he spent two formative years in the early seventies working under French master etchers and artists, before returning home. Painter, sculptor, graphic artist, muralist, ceramicist, designer, calligrapher and poet, Satish Gupta is a versatile artist. His paintings encompass portraiture, landscape as well as abstract imagery and reflect his deep engagement with mysticism and Zen spirit. His earlier work in ‘The Eyes of the Thar’ series focused on portraying the life and folks of desert land while he has also created art works in an abstract mode as well as painted mountains and rivers. A cosmic consciousness as portrayed in his Haikus and Zen series is a recurrent theme in work that is also reflected in his colossal graphic murals and monumental sculptures that adorn many public spaces. His ability to handle form, material, matter and size to create art that touches the heart and the mind alike is exemplified in his most recent gigantic and larger than life sculpture of Shiva that took the artist over a year of concentrated work to create. Two large format illustrated books featuring his work have appeared over the years. Winning the Sanskriti award at an early stage in his career, Satish’s large body of work has been exhibited in nearly 40 solos and many more group exhibitions at important art galleries within the country and abroad covering Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, London, Paris, Melbourne, Spain, New York and more recently at Beijing during the Olympics as the only Indian artist in an international show that is currently touring the world. His artwork is represented at important centers including the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi while a large sculpture adorns the departure lounge at the new airport terminal in the city besides work in other collections in various parts of the world. The artist writes a regular column ‘Zen Black, Zen White’ for the First City magazine and has participated in two poetry festivals in Spain. Satish lives in Delhi and works from his studio on the outskirts of the city surrounded by a Zen Garden of his own design. Shwedagon | Oil on canvas | 60” x 36” | 2010 Shwedagon | Silk and Pashmina with turquoise beads in a calligraphed box-fabric INDIA INDIA 51” x 26.5” | 2010 seema kohli

Born 1960 at Delhi, Seema Kohli studied philosophy followed by a Diploma in Applied Arts. She trained in Lithographs working with Devraj Dakoji and subsequently learnt painting from Rameshwar Broota at Triveni and had a brief residency at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. Playing with varied materials in a range of mediums conceptually her art steeped in Indian philosophy, scriptures and mythology explores themes around procreation and feminine concerns in a mix of portraiture, narrative and landscape. Her colourful swarming work in layers of dense drawing and painting, that she often sprays over with hands, covers the whole surface in a strange blend of the real and imagined. There are floating figures part human part from the outer world, often women appearing in semi-anthropomorphic forms accompanied by birds, animals, flowers, fish, sun, moon, meandering rivers and in a variety of shapes, encompass the origins and proliferation of life and the universe. A print maker and painter she also works in drawing, ceramics, murals, sculptures, installations, photography, video, performance art and film making. Keen on experimentation this single mother of two has also undertaken a couple of social projects and has collaborated with a dancer, a film maker and a bronze caster for a recent project. Seema’s work has been exhibited in several solo and group shows in various Indian cities including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore and overseas at London, Untitled | Mixed media on canvas | 24” x 24” | 2010 Dubai, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Nepal and Paris amongst others. Featured at the Arco festival in Spain, her work has won her the LKA women artist’s award, besides Gold Medal at the Florence Biennale and FICCI FLOW women achievers’ award. Her paintings with their beautiful and pleasing ambience have found their way into several important private and corporate collections. Seema lives in Delhi and works from her studio at home. Ornate embroidered jacket and digitally printed silk lycra body suit (work in progress) SUJATA BAJAJ

Born 1958 at Jaipur Sujata Bajaj did her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Art and Painting from SNDT College at Pune University in India followed by study at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris on a French Government Scholarship and worked at Studio Claude Viseux. With a doctorate specializing in Indian Tribal Art, Sujata’s work in an abstract oeuvre incorporates something of the myth and folk culture together with classical Indian aesthetics. There is a contemporary and somewhat international sensibility in her colourful art that encompasses a conglomeration of media woodcuts, etching, collage, sculpture and painting. Using calligraphic markings as in ancient manuscripts, with primordial motifs and meanings, her vibrant and colourful abstract renditions primarily in reds, yellows and blues meticulously textured adorning an ethnic touch have won her international critical acclaim. The artist has been extremely versatile working in diverse material- paint, paper, cold wax, ceramic, fibre-glass, metal, mix media and increasingly now acrylic. Winner of the Chancellor’s Award, SNDT University in Mumbai; Maharashtra State Bombay Art Society and the Raza Awards early in her career, Sujata has had the distinction of being selected for the International Youth in Achievement Program at Cambridge, UK. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Europe and India with solo shows at Mumbai, Delhi, Paris, Norway and London. It has found Equilibre | Acrylic on canvas | 36” x 36” | 2010 pride of place in important collections including the Cultural Ministry of Norway. A large coffee table book documenting her work and published in France was released in Paris, London, Mumbai, Delhi and Pune recently. Sujata lives between France, Norway and Pune and works from her studio in Paris. Clutch | Leather & mixed media painting on canvas | 6” x 13” | 2010 varun sardana

N.I.F.T.Delhi,Alumnus. Varun Sardana graduated in 2003 and went on to work as head designer for Indian Designer, Varun Bahl. Varun launched his label in 2007 and has established itself as one of the most innovative brands in India in a very short period of time. The brand was picked up by French Agents MC2 Diffusion only in its second season and has been showing its collection to international buyers at the MC2 Showroom, during Paris Fashion Week, for the last five seasons. The brand has a strong focus on using age-old couture techniques in new and innovative ways for a diffusion line, thereby making it more accessible. The label seeks to marry the wealth of hand-skills from the east with fabrics and technology from the west to create a truly unique and new age brand. He has garnered rave reviews from press and critics for his work. Elle (India) awarded him ELLE STYLE AWARDS consecutively in 2008 and 2009. Vogue (India) featured both his S/S’10 and A/W’10 collections as one of THE BEST 10 COLLECTIONS OF THE SEASON. Hindustan Times awarded him the title “THE NEXT BIG THING” twice in their designer category consecutively for 2008 and 2010. Vogue (India) featured him as one of the Icons of Indian Fashion in their Icons issue (October 2010). varun sardana. Became the first Indian designer to be featured on the cover of Vogue Turkey (Nov’10). Varun was featured by Vogue Italy as the ten new international designers to look out for in their Vogue Talents section (Oct’10). Varun was invited by the British Council to participate in the Alchemy Festival at the Southbank Centre in London in April 2010. Based on his show there, he was signed up by Blow PR, one of U.K.’s best fashion PR companies to represent his international press.He was invited by the prestigious Parisian store AUX LAINES ECOSSAISES to design special window displays for Paris Fashion Week in October 2010, based on his Autumn/Winter 2010 show. Varun Sardana is stocked in about 30 established niche stores in Europe,Middle East, South East Asia, America and India. A Fashion show can be more than a display of garments; it can be a presentation of ideas, concepts and philosophy. These two installations take forward that idea of performance in Fashion, taking concepts and ideas from my previous collections and evolving them further into an expression of an ‘idea of beauty’. The installations seek to subvert the conventional notions of display in Fashion. Using life size dolls that are dressed in handmade garments, I have tried to fuse together the concepts of couture as art and art as a separate entity. Life size dolls dressed in handmade garments, fusing together the concepts of couture as art (work in progress). VIVEEK SHARMA

Born 1968 in Mumbai, Viveek Sharma graduated in fine art specializing in painting from Sir JJ School of Art in the city. Recent residencies in Germany and Switzerland have given him a further opportunity to study and work in a newer context and get inspired by some of the European masters’ work. A painter of metaphors, his work is recognized for its large-sized photorealistic paintings focusing on the socio- political transformation of Indian society in a contemporary global context. Featuring eminent figures, popular icons and moments of history ranging from Mahatma Gandhi to Obama to Lord Ganesha and including shanty township of Daravi or the terror siege of 26/11, his work meanders around the landmark sites and stories associated with India’s commercial capital’s in a mix of the real and imagined. Mostly as paintings in oils on canvas, his impressive body of artwork re-contextualizes and documents contemporary history for viewers across the board. Though his earlier body of work was focused on sketching, portraiture and illustrations, followed by some experimentation in abstraction, he finally found his nemesis in narrative painting that he continues to create, often with the persona of the artist, like a star, at the centre of his artistic expressions. There is an engaging depiction of the street processions and celebrations in work that has found him a place amongst the more cutting edge artists of today’s Madeleine | Oil on canvas | 36” x 36” | 2010 generation. Winner of several awards including the Maharashtra Police Award for his painting and Maharashtra State Award for Artistic Excellence, his work has been exhibited extensively in various Indian metros as well as at international galleries at Dusseldorf, Zurich and New York. Viveek has also participated in several art camps and workshops. His work is held in important private and corporate collections within India and overseas including a commission that he did for Troubadour, Tokyo. Viveek lives and works in Mumbai. Who’s coming for dinner tonight | Installation | Size variable | 2010 Zanana table & chairs courtesy Sarthak Sengupta & Sahil Bagga, Sarthak Sahil Design Co. yusuf arakkal

Born 1945 in Kerala, Yusuf Arakkal learnt the Raja Ravi Varma style of painting from a well known local artist followed by an art diploma from Chitrakala Parishat College of Art at Bangalore while working as a technician dye maker at HAL and later learnt printmaking at the Garhi Studios in Delhi. The impact of multifarious experiences is clear in the artist’s work that started with portraiture, moving to painting in an abstract mode where colour was used to reflect the superficial glamour of city life. In the mid 70’s his compositions began to include wheels, drainage pipes and other geometric forms and structures that suggestive of the wretched living conditions of the urban poor that he encountered in Bangalore. A concern with wider social issues results in his focus shifting back to human figure, seen as bound to, and defined by his environment. Springing from a realist link his imagery succeeds in generalizing it with a graceful and somewhat rough at the edges and poignant appearance. Yusuf usually works in series and the moods of his figuration range from atmospherics to restlessness, dejection to fascination and sedate to sensuousness. Animated from one angle and flattened from another, his work at times appears to belong to a different era or perhaps nowhere while at others it dissolves into the background. Yusuf a master of oil paintings is a man of many parts. Besides his two dimensional drawings and paintings, he has also worked in printmaking, collage, sculpture, installations, photography, design as well as creative writing and literature. Yusuf’s large public sculptures adorn the HAL building and city center in Bangalore and his paintings and drawings have been exhibited in over 50 solo and group shows all over India and internationally at Moscow, Mexico, Japan, France, Seoul and at International biennales and triennials at Delhi, Sao Paulo, Cairo and Florence. His work is held in several important collections including MOMA besides NGMA. Winner of awards including four times the National of LKA his most recent credit includes the Lorenso-De-Medici Gold medal at 5th Florence International Biennale of Contemporary art in Italy. The artist lives and works in Bangalore.

Jeans generation I & II | oil on canvas 60” x 48” | 2010 Shirt | Soft denim, image from child series | Extra Large | 2010 International College of Fashion, through its newly launched POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN FASHION ENTREPRENEURSHIP, takes the initiative of discovering those talented and successful individuals who have both the flair and business edge to become future leaders and champions of the local fashion industry.ICF is promoted by one of the leading business organization Bajaj Capital, a renowned financial services provider. Bajaj Capital was also instrumental in establishment of International College of Financial Planning, which provides specialized courses in the financial domain with an exclusive curriculum customized and designed by ICOFP™ along with NIA, Pune. After achieving great success and being marked as pioneer of finance related courses in the country, ICOFP™ created a platform to encourage innovation and creativity in the fashion industry by promoting ICF, offering a course called Fashion Entrepreneurship.

Fashion Entrepreneurship aims to build strong professional foundation of technical and managerial ability for effective decision making. It usually involves planning, organizing, directing and controlling the input of suppliers, contractors and the design team members, together with accepting the associated business risks. It targets towards individuals who aspire to build their autonomous brand identity in the fashion industry.

Fashion entrepreneurship brings together a dynamic portfolio that includes entrepreneurial traits, innovative techniques, and small business management skills needed to start, develop and operate a fashion business. The curriculum that International College of Fashion caters to the students, is designed and developed by IIT-Delhi, NID Ahmadabad and skill training at NIESBUD and meets the international demand and criteria. The course outline comprises of detailed study of fashion, management, entrepreneurship and bit of finance. The training is done in a format of complete fashion market research, development of an idea followed by creating the final product which is the end result.

ICF comprises of the Academic Council to watch over the quality of pedagogy and ensuring that it meets the expectations of companies in the entrepreneurial sector. The panel of professionals and experts are: Mr. Vinod Kaul, Ex-Directo, FDCI; Ms. Payal Jain, A renowned Fashion Designer; Dr. Harish Chaudhary, HOD, IIT Delhi; and Mr. Arya, DG, NIESBUD.

ICF provides an opportunity to its students to maintain interaction with fashion experts, interns working in reputed fashion houses and other veterans in the fashion business. Development of personal attitude needed while improving the techniques and skills associated with entrepreneurial spirit is also well taken care of.

ICF endeavors to partake in the developmental process of fashion industry by producing top notch entrepreneurs with valuable skill set and efficiency. It is instrumental in mentoring students to continually look for marketable opportunities to exploit and start a new business venture from concept to creation and from fashion to street.

For enquiries: Call : 9811111303 & 9560697504 website : www.icf.edu.in email : [email protected] Art Positive A Unit of Bajaj Capital Art House

Gallery Art Positive that emerged on the Indian art scene some five years ago is known for its focus on seminal exhibitions and art initiatives including work by young and established artists that it has organized to- date. Given the unprecedented escalation in qualitative and aesthetic merit of art together with its enhanced monetary value in a volatile market, Art Positive expanded a couple of years ago, as a unit of Bajaj Capital Art House to include the business of art as a holistic initiative building on the in-house expertise of Bajaj Capital Ltd a wealth management company with a 50 year track record. The goodwill of the parent company, together with the efforts of a highly experienced team, brought in many positive results to turn BCAH into a trusted name in the business of art.

Ranging from special shows to online exhibitions, master classes, personalized portfolios, art education initiatives as well as advice on buying, selection, display, insurance, handling, care and conservation of art, Art Positive, a unit of BCAH is acknowledged for the specialized and personalized art advisory services that it offers to a wide spectrum of collectors and institutions, both locally and globally.

To further enhance its services qualitatively and quantitatively, Art Positive a unit of BCAH has now expanded to include a new and state of the art space in a relaxed and creative ambience at Lado Sarai, the latest art hub in the capital city, to host curated solo and group exhibitions of seminal and cutting edge art in varied modes, media and prices, from across the country.

The new space also incorporate Book CaféArteria to create a lively ambience and comfortable reading area for interested connoisseurs, collectors, artists, experts, educationists and business leaders. Face to face encounters with master artists as well as promising young artists will be hosted in the new space, while Art Positive will continue to offer exclusive services ranging from sourcing collectible and authentic art works of high aesthetic merit and market value to offering advice on their display and care. In the aesthetic ambience of the Book CaféArteria matters of art can be discussed over coffee and book launches, discussions, workshops and presentations will be held to add to the vibrancy of contemporary art circuit.

Sushma Bahl MBE, is an independent arts consultant and curator of cultural projects. As Head of Arts Dept British Council India until April 2003, she led on their cultural policy and program, spearheading several initiatives including the first ever Festival of India in Britain and the Enduring Image exhibition from the British Museum with its numerous associated events besides collaborative projects in visual and performing arts. Over the last few years, as a freelance consultant she has curated a series of art exhibitions including Fair & Furious based on the theme of women, Keep the Promise to help raise funds for UN’s Millennium Development Goals, Contemporary Chronicles in Miniature Art of works from India and Pakistan, Ways of Seeing that won the IHC Art India Award as the best curated group show, Vistaar involving collaboration between artists and designers and Annanya an overview of contemporary Indian art. She has edited and written for artists’ books including those on Thota Vaikuntam, Paresh Maity and Satish Gupta while a Pic: Anshika Varma book on Shuvaprasanna is currently in the making. Sushma was the Co-Director for Indian arts at the Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival in South Korea 2004, Guest Director for XI Triennale- India 2005, Co-curator for V9/U9 Indo-UK digital art project and Art Link Indo-German artists’ residency 2006&7 and Project Consultant for Bharat Rang Mahotsav X11 in Jan 2010. A Jury Board Member of the 14th Asian Art Biennale 2010 in Bangladesh, She is a trustee/advisory panel member of several arts institutions including the National Gallery of Modern Art Delhi and Florence Biennale in Italy.

Vidyun Singh The author has been part of the Indian Fashion industry since its inception as choreographer, stylist, TV director of STYLE FILE a Fashion and Lifestyle television series for the Living Media Group, producer and fashion editor. She along with her partner noted photographer Asha Kochhar founded MEDIA MAKERS, one of the pioneering and today one of India’s leading fashion show companies. Over the years Media Makers has produced over a thousand shows in India and abroad. Their international shows span the globe from London, Paris, Dubai, HongKong, Singapore, Jakarta, Capetown, St. Petersburg, Beijing, Tashkent to presenting designer Ashish Soni at New York fashion Week. They have as their client profile almost every leading Indian designer from the late Rohit Khosla to Ritu Kumar,Tarun Tahiliani,Rohit Bal,Rina Dhaka, JJvalaya, Ashish Soni, Raghuvendra Rathore,Rajesh Pratap Singh,Manish Arora…..etc among others. As official choreographers at all the India Fashion Weeks she has worked with almost Pic: Nupur Mathur every Indian designer. Vidyun Singh is also the Director of Programmes at Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.and a frequent contributor to magazines and Newspapers as a Fashion commentator Credits:

Convergence A group exhibition of artworks and fashion creations Presented by Art Positive A unit of Bajaj Capital Art House

Curated & edited by Sushma Bahl & Vidyun Singh

Exhibition supported by International College of Fashion

Special thanks Jaggi Bakshi Kanchan Khubchandani Rahul Chaudhary Runvijay Paul Vikram Seth International College of Fashion, Delhi The Citrine INDIA INDIA Bakson India Sarthak Sahil Design Co. Studio Miscellanea

Design and Printing Archana, www.archanapress.com

Text copyrights Sushma Bahl & Vidyun Singh

Published by Art Positive Gallery, F-213/B, Lado Sarai, Old MB Road, New Delhi 110030 T: 011-46604128, 41602545 E: [email protected] W: www. bcah.in

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced/ stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

Nov/Dec 2010

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Head Office Bajaj Capital Art House, 97, Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019 Email: [email protected] www.bcah.in