We all choose to cherish moments from our lives in ways that are personal and unique to us. Whether that is through words, photos, sketches or through a medium that makes sense to only you. Throughout your life, this medium of expression might shift and form iexnto something as unique as you are as an individual. For artists, their medium and style of expression are often as relevant as the ideas they seek to communicate through their work. 

Harman Taneja, an artist originally from Delhi, is someone who experiments with materials and mediums to create art pieces that are reflective of her identity and her thoughts. While she is a trained architect, Harman moved away from the field to broaden her perspective and embark on a journey that was truly her own. Her journey from the structured world of architecture to the fluidity of art has not only broadened her perspective but has also given birth to a unique and captivating artistic expression. With an unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries and challenging established norms, Harman has carved her niche in the world of contemporary art by working with unconventional materials.

According to her interview with Art Buzz, her fondest memories have been associated with paints, clays and canvases. While studying architecture helped her look at materials and mediums in a whole new way, it also took her on a journey of analysing blank spaces and creating spaces for herself, that add another dimension to her practice of art. 

Having interned at Auroville, which is home to many creatives and artists who experiment with materials and established forms of expression, Harman learnt the value of material and fell in love with resin as a medium. Today, it is one of the primary materials in her artworks, along with other materials such as terracotta, water, concrete, metal elements and even found objects. Today, she explores varying materials and challenges them by depicting the possibilities they hold through production and materiality across different scales.

The 3D form of her craft is her way of breaking free from the mould of life and deconstructing dictated structures of rectangle canvases, terse geometry and restrictive societal norms and culture. With her artwork being a medium of rebellion against the predefined rules that govern our lives, Harman uses the 3D material as a craft to shatter the mould that society often imposes, and invites her audience to break free with her.

In speaking to Latitude 28, Harman mentions how her work is also a challenge to the lack of curvilinearity that exists in the physical world around us. She said, “My works act as facilitators (amongst other materials) to depict the absence of man-made curves. I seek to define a new type of aesthetic with resin and add texture to the clouds for my imagined picturesque.” In working with varying materials - pouring fluid resin, crafting clay elements, and adding pigments into moulds and onto paper is her attempt to move beyond the established limitations and bounds. 

In the last five years, Harman has had solo exhibitions at varying galleries and has been a part of group shows of repute as well. She has also been an artist in residence in multiple galleries across India and has been part of multiple online showcases. Today, Harman Taneja has her own art studio in Delhi, where she continues to challenge norms, experiment with materials, and create artwork that defies conventions.

Currently, her pieces like ‘Tor’ which is a study of the interplay of fluidity and structure crafted from found reinforcement and resin, or the piece titled ‘House or Home’ made from found bricks, epoxy resin and Neel are being displayed at galleries of repute like Space Studio Baroda and Latitude 28 in Delhi respectively. Instagram and social media have also played a pivotal role in her journey, serving as a powerful medium of connection with her audience as well as a way to sharing her artistic vision.

You can follow her here.

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