ek

vive
r o ra. otra.
a h
ish mal arekh.
man nish p p
s i ngh li. ma manu . dilee
it h . r
a r amj ma ko valaya p singh i kuma .
p e j a
d a na. pta. se ajaj. j prata an. rav harm
n sar av gu jata b rajesh lay cl veek s satish
ar u au r . s u l . . p . v i ra . un
h. v ma. g kumar arakka anand arora alhot h. var a.
rek ar a k
a n u pa eep sh i. ritu . yusuf i. bab manish nish m u pare sharm u
dil r kash hilpa raman ingh a p t
laya
.m
gh. i. m a. man . dilee shi. ri a.
a s i s ohl y a
a j . jj va tap sin vi kum . little malin ramjit ema k jj vala singh mar k e shilp i
j a r a a a . a s e . a p k u t l in
a ba h pr an. arm upt a. p ta. ajaj rat avi . lit mal
. s ujat . rajes lay cl eek sh atish g sardan av gup ujata b ajesh p clan. r harma gupta. ramjit
r l p iv s r s r s a
uma arakka nand. ora. v otra. varun a. gau mar. kkal. d. play iveek satish ana. p . seema
tu k f a r h . m ku ra n .v . d a j.
s h i. ri . yusu . baba nish a sh mal parekh p shar . ritu usuf a ba ana arora lhotra un sar v gupt a baja
i i r
m a r ka shilpa aman gh ma . mani manu . dilee kash ilpa. y ani. ba anish ish ma kh. va gaura . sujat rajesh
r i r e . r .
i ku ttle ini sin hl ya. gh ma e sh am hm an ar ma ma kal lay
rav ma. li a. mal ramjit ema ko jj vala tap sin avi ku . littl alini r it sing ohli. m manu p p shar itu ku f arak and. p ra.
r t a e a r a j . e r n
sha h gup ana. p pta. s bajaj. sh pr clan. sharm upta. m param eema k alaya h. dile kashi. a. yusu baba a sh aro ra.
s u a je y g v
na. upta. s jaj. jj ap sing umar e shilp mani. i
sati n sard urav g sujat al. ra d. pla viveek atish man malho un
t
u . k n . s rda g ba t ik l ra gh
var ma. ga kumar f arak a ana arora otra. run sa aurav ujata sh pra n. rav a. litt alini jit sin anish kh. var a.
r b h a s e a m m m e m
sha i. ritu a. yusu ani. ba manish sh mal ekh. v rma. g umar. al. raj lay cl k shar upta. param ohli. nu par p shar tu
h p i r a k k p g . k e i
kas e shil ni ram singh. i. man nu pa eep sh i. ritu f arak nand. a. vivee satish rdana . seema aya. ma . dile ashi. r uf
l i l a l a l h k s
litt a. mal ramjit a koh aya. m gh. di ar kash a. yusu baba a h aror otra. arun s v gupta j. jj va p sing umar lpa. yu ni.
t a m l p . s h a a k i
gup ana. p ta. see j. jj va tap sin vi kum le shil amani mani sh mal rekh. v . gaura ata baj h prat . ravi ttle sh i rama gh
d a a a t r h i a j s n i n
sar av gup ta baj esh pr clan. r a. lit alini it sing li. man anu pa sharm ar. su l. raje ay cla rma. l a. mali jit sin li.
r a j m m j m l a m h
gau ar. suj al. ra d. play k shar upta. param a koh laya. m . dileep itu ku arakka and. p eek sh h gupt a. para ma ko ya.
k e g . m a r n v s e
ku f ara a ana a. viv satish rdana ta. see aj. jj v p singh kashi. . yusuf baba a ora. vi a. sati sardan pta. se . jj vala ap
m k n e
u b r . p j r r r j t
yus ani. ba h aro hotra run sa rav gu ata ba h prata i kuma shilpa amani. nish a alhot varun rav gu a baja sh pra n.
is l a j s e a . u t e a
ram h man sh ma ekh. v a. gau ar. su l. raje an. rav . littl alini r ngh m nish m arekh ma. ga r. suja l. raj play cl ek
i r m m a l a i a p r a a e
sing li. man anu pa p shar itu ku arakk play c sharm upta. m amjit s hli. m manu ep sha u kum arakk nand. ra. viv ra.
e f . g r o . e it f a
koh laya. m h. dile ashi. r a. yusu anand viveek atish na. pa eema k valaya h. dil shi. r . yusu . baba ish aro alhot h.
k a . s a s g a a i m k
jj va ap sing umar e shilp i. bab arora otra. n sard upta. ajaj. jj tap sin umar k shilp raman h man anish u pare ep
t k tl n h u g b a k le i g m n le
pra . ravi
m a . lit i rama manish sh mal h. var aurav sujata esh pr . ravi a. litt malin jit sin ohli. ya. ma gh. di ar
n n i k j n . m
cla k shar . mali singh i. man u pare rma. g umar. al. ra ay cla sharm gupta . para eema k jj vala ap sin vi kum a.
e a l a k k l a s jaj. h prat lan ra sharm h
vive h gupt ramjit a koh ya. man eep sh . ritu f arak and. p viveek satish ardan upta.
i s a m a i l i u n . . s g a ba es c k is
sat ana. p ta. see . jj val gh. d r kash pa. yus baba a arora hotra arun aurav . sujat al. raj d. play . vivee ra. sat un
d j n a l . l v g ar rakk an arora lhot
sar av gup ta baja atap si vi kum tle shi amani manish ish ma rekh. rma. u m a n . v ar .
r a r a a uk fa a h ma kh ma
gau ar. suj jesh pr lan. ra ma. lit alini singh li. man anu p eep sh hi. rit . yusu ni. bab manis anish u pare p shar tu
a c r m h m il s a a n e i
kum kal. r . play ek sha upta. ramjit ma ko alaya. gh. d ar ka e shilp i ram singh ohli. m ya. ma . dile ashi. r pa.
k e g a e n m n t a h k
ara anand ra. viv satish ana. p pta. se jaj. jj v atap si avi ku a. littl . mali aramji eema k jj val p sing umar le shil ini
a . d a r a p s . a vi k a. litt . mal it
bab ish aro hotra n sar rav gu jata b jesh pr clan. sharm h gupt ana. ta. a bajaj h prat
l u u u a s d gup t s n ra m ta j
man ish ma h. var ma. ga mar. s kal. r d. play viveek a. sati un sar aurav . suja l. raje lay cla k shar sh gup . param ma
a n r e k a r k u r a k a n r a . t r a r . g m a r k a . p v e e a t i a n a s e e
a h n o v a k d i s
m up ep s ritu suf a ba a aro alh kh. arm u ku ara nan ra.
v
tra
.
sar
d pta
.
jaj.
man h. dile kashi. pa. yu ni. ba anish nish m u pare eep sh hi. rit . yusuf baba a h aro alho arun rav gu jata ba sh
l a m a l s . s m v u e
sing kumar tle shi ni ram singh hli. m a. man gh. di ar ka shilpa amani mani anish arekh. ma. ga ar. su al. raj ay
i t i y m e r h m k l
rav ma. li a. mal ramjit ema ko jj vala tap sin avi ku . littl alini it sing ohli. m manu p p shar itu ku f arak and. p ra.
r t a e a r a m j . e r n
sha h gup ana. p pta. s bajaj. sh pr clan. sharm upta. param eema k alaya h. dile kashi. a. yusu baba a sh aro sh
s u a je y g s v g p . i i
sati n sard urav g sujat al. ra d. pla viveek atish dana. upta. ajaj. jj ap sin kumar e shil amani h man i. man
ar.
u . k n . s r g b t l r g l
var ma. ga kumar f arak a ana arora otra. run sa aurav ujata sh pra n ravi a. litt alini jit sin a koh
r b h a
sha i. ritu a. yusu ani. ba anish sh mal ekh. v rma. g umar. al. raj lay cl k shar upta. param a. seem
s e a m
m m
h p m i r
kas e shil ni ram singh i. man nu pa eep sh i. ritu f arak nand. a. vivee satish rdana v gup
a k k p
r i t
g
u ku . t

i.
l i l a l a a a
litt a. mal ramjit a koh aya. m gh. di ar kash a. yusu baba h aror otra. arun s . gaur
t a m l
gup ana. p ta. see j. jj va tap sin vi kum le shil aman mani sh mal rekh. v sharm
d p a a a t
p
r
i .
h
s
i
h
r k ash a
sar av gu ta baj esh pr clan. r a. lit lini it sing li. man anu p dileep
a
a
kum
r a j m m a j
gau ar. suj al. ra d. play k shar gupta. param a koh laya. m singh.
k e m
v i
ra
. a
kum f arak a anan a. vive satish rdana ta. see aj. jj v ratap
u b r . p j p
yus ani. ba h aro hotra run sa rav gu ata ba ajesh an
is l
ram h man sh ma ekh. v a. gau ar. su kkal.
a j r y cl
g i r m m a d . pla
n a n p a a r u r n
si li. m anu ep s
h itu
k
suf
a
ana
koh laya. m h. dile ashi. r lpa. yu i. b
aba
v a i n g r k s h i a n
jj s a m
tap kum ttle i ra
pra . ravi ma. li alin
a. m

convergence
n r
cla k sha u p t
vive
e sh g
sati
o t ra.
h
mal

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: info@bcah.in
Email: info@icf.edu.in

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 : info@icf.edu.in
 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,
Pic: Anshika Varma

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
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,
Pic: Nupur Mathur

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
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: info@bcah.in 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
Back Cover Inside
 Art Positive
F-213/B, Old MB Road,
Lado Sarai, New Delhi-110030
T: 011-46604128, 41602545

Head Office
Bajaj Capital Art House,
97, Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019
Email: info@bcah.in

www.bcah.in