Visit A Mumbai Gallery Moving Homegrown Art Away From 'White Cube Spaces'

Art and Charlie was founded by Ayesha Parikh in 2019. It began with small steps as a nomadic gallery that curated art shows in and near Mumbai. In the initial years, the shows were conducted in downtown cafes and restaurants such as The Bombay Canteen. During the pandemic, Art & Charlie transformed into a fully online platform, conducting educational events exploring art’s increasing fusion with technology.

After the pandemic, Art & Charlie has opened up their new space which is an ideal spot for avid art connoisseurs, art collectors as well as those who are beginning their journey to learn about art. Nestled within the old-world charm of Bandra’s bylanes, Art and Charlie’s unique gallery occupies a bright red bungalow in quaint Pali Village, which has a rich Portuguese history. It has been transformed into a cultural hub housing an art gallery, performance venue, gift shop, and café. The two-story space exhibits exciting contemporary visual art from Indian-origin artists and beyond. Art and Charlie also curates thought-provoking and culture-centric theatre and art performances, film screenings, music gigs, comedy events, and workshops every weekend at this space.

The current exhibition being showcased there is The Illusion of Home and it is on till the 11th of March. Four different visual artists deal with the idea of home through their distinct lenses. Jasjyot Singh Hans addresses the elusive nature of home and belonging. Ranjeeta Kumari navigates along the tender lines of home, memory, and identity. Osheen Siva explores the vulnerability of the act of intimacy, solidarity, and affinity towards the idea of Home. Arvind Sundar plays with visual abstractions of Home through geometry and chaos theory, while reflecting on how any place can be Home if we believe so.

Art and Charlie’s aim is to bring art out of the white cube spaces and break the notions that cause art to be perceived by many as inaccessible, intimidating, and an experience reserved for the cultural elites. Their objective is to make art accessible to every person, every Charlie.

Art and Charlie encourages its viewers to engage in interactions with art that go beyond the gallery space. The gallery has been created with the aim of providing a unique space for younger generations to engage more with visual arts. After an afternoon of viewing some inspiring visual works, you can unwind at their adjacent cafe with some espresso and a discussion about art. Art and Charlie’s cafe is operated by SUBKO, one of Mumbai’s most-cherished roasteries.

You can find out more about Art & Charlie here.

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