Inside An Exhibition Exploring The Relationship Between Cities, Nature, & Spirituality

Sheher, Prakriti, DeviIshara Art Foundation

My first introduction to artist and photographer Gauri Gill’s work was through her astutely perceptive photo series covering life in rural Rajasthan. Since then I’ve been an avid enthusiast of her work. Introducing her first curatorial venture, Sheher, Prakriti, Devi, in collaboration with Ishara Art Foundation, the ongoing exhibition explores the interconnectedness of vibrant cities, the natural world, and the inseparable sacred. The show features twelve artists and collectives working in various urban, rural, domestic, communal, public, and non-material settings.

Gauri Gill's Award-Winning Photo Series Captures The Art Of Survival In Rural Rajasthan

Chamba Rumal, Tara. From the series ‘Das Mahavidya’ (Ten Great Wisdoms), Hand embroidery on silk cloth, 29.2 x 29.2 cm.Anant Art

Ladhki Devi, Dasha Devi (2020-21). Poster paint on mud-coated cloth, 45.2 x 33.5 cm. IIshara Art Foundation & Prabhakar Collection

The words 'Sheher', 'Prakriti', and 'Devi' are derived from Hindustani and mean 'city', 'nature', and 'deity' respectively. The exhibition originates from Gill's continuous documentation of urban and semi-urban spaces in India since 2003 in a series called Rememory (inspired by Toni Morrison). Gill provides a unique perspective on cities as living spaces influenced by various life experiences. Collaborating with like-minded practitioners, the exhibition presents a world where both man-made and natural structures are affected by termites; gates open onto incomplete roads; ancient ruins become homes for migratory birds, and pigeons inhabit post-colonial houses; locusts witness modern fears, and forests appear as spiritual entities. This exhibition invites viewers to perceive ecology as an intersection of cultural, natural, and spiritual realms.

Gauri Gill, Kolkata 2009 (a), from the series ‘Rememory’ (2003 – ongoing). Archival pigment print, 154.5 x 104 cmGauri Gill

Meera Mukherjee, Wave. Bronze, 33 x 20.32 x 22.8 cmDadiba Pundole

"Apart from the sheer beauty and multiple truths expressed by the different artists - from the mundane to the transcendental, the gross to the subtle, and, the manmade to the sacred – through this palimpsestic and idiosyncratic exhibition, I wish to acknowledge those who have found ways to stubbornly persist in their practice, often sharing their work only within their families and local communities, completely outside the circuits and networks of professional artists, contemporary art discourse, galleries and markets… Through this gathering of insistent voices we hope to consider the dualistic worlds of the depleted and regenerative, manmade and natural, colonial and Indigenous, young and old, English and non-English, mundane and magical, absent and present.

Gauri Gill

Sheher, Prakriti, Devi includes works by renowned artists including Chamba Rumal, Chiara Camoni, Gauri Gill, Ladhki Devi, Mariam Suhail, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Rashmi Kaleka, Shefalee Jain, Sukanya Ghosh, Vinnie Gill and Yoshiko Crow. Gauri Gill curated the exhibition in close collaboration with Sabih Ahmed. The exhibition features artworks loaned from private collections including Anant Art, Akar Prakar, the Pundole Family Collection, the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation, the Ishara Art Foundation, and the Prabhakar Collection. ZEISS Vision and J. Safra Sarasin (Middle East) Ltd. have generously supported the exhibition, with logistical support from Vadehra Art Gallery.