Art News India

Vimla Art Forum’s International Exhibition MAATI-III

Mrs Kanchan Mehra, Shri Jai Tripathi, Shri Vinod Bhardwaj, Shri Santosh Shrivastava and Shri Vinod Narayn Indukar

What we create as artists, why we create it, and whether what we create can truly be called art—these are questions that have accompanied artistic practice since its very beginning. They arise not only from the outside world, from critics, viewers, and institutions, but also from within the artist’s own consciousness. An artist is often their own first and most relentless questioner. The process of creation is therefore never free from doubt; rather, it is shaped and sharpened by it. Yet, despite centuries of artistic inquiry, no definitive or final answers to these questions have emerged. This absence of certainty is not a limitation of art but, in fact, its greatest strength. It is what keeps art alive, evolving, and deeply human.

Artist Ravi Ranjan, Arbind Singh, Ragini Sinha, Jai Tripathi and Bipin Kumar

The reason these questions resist final answers lies in the very nature of art itself. Art is, at its core, a search for the self. The “self” here does not simply refer to identity in a social or psychological sense but to a deeper, more complex inner existence—the essence of being. Every individual carries within them layers of memory, emotion, experience, and perception. To encounter this inner terrain, even partially, is to arrive at a moment of profound realisation. For an artist, such moments become points of creative energy, where the act of making transforms into an act of knowing. In this sense, the journey of art is inseparable from the journey of self-discovery.

Artist Bipin Kumar, Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj, Arbind Singh, Dilip Sharma, Anil Sharma and Jai Tripathi

Art, then, may be understood as the clay of this inner self. Just as a potter depends on the right kind of clay to create vessels that are both beautiful and functional, an artist depends on the quality and depth of their inner being. Not all soil can be shaped into pottery; it must possess the right balance, texture, and resilience. Similarly, the artist’s inner world must be cultivated, observed, and refined. The potter gathers clay from the external environment, working with a material that is visible and tangible. The artist, however, draws from an internal reservoir—an invisible yet deeply felt substance that forms the basis of all creative expression.

This distinction is crucial. While the potter moulds clay into form through physical labour, the artist shapes their inner experiences into forms that may be visual, auditory, textual, or performative. The act of creation becomes a dialogue between the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown. In the process of shaping this inner clay, the artist does not simply produce objects; they construct meanings, evoke emotions, and open pathways for reflection. Each artwork becomes a trace of the artist’s ongoing search—a momentary crystallisation of a much larger, continuous journey.

It is within this context that platforms like the Vimala Art Forum acquire significance. Such spaces are not merely venues for display; they are environments where artists can share fragments of their evolving journeys. The annual exhibition Maati embodies this spirit. Now entering its third year as Maati-3, the exhibition has grown from its earlier focus on Indian folk and modern art into an expansive, international platform. This transformation reflects not only an increase in scale but also a deepening of dialogue—between traditions, cultures, and artistic approaches.

The title Maati (meaning “clay”) itself is deeply symbolic. Clay is a material that is both humble and profound. It is rooted in the earth, yet capable of infinite transformation. It accepts form without resistance yet demands preparation and care. In many ways, it mirrors the nature of the self and, by extension, the nature of art. Maati-3 continues this metaphor by embracing new artistic forms and ideas, welcoming change while remaining grounded in its core philosophy.

This year’s exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists from across the world. International participants such as Anne Michelle Vrillet Diet Mina, Barbara Crimella, Ewa Held, Gina Axlund, Marc Rayner, Jeetin Rangher, Jean Charles Millepied, and Martin King contribute works that reflect their unique cultural contexts and personal explorations. Alongside them, invited Indian artists including Kanchan Mehra, Bipin Kumar, Jai Tripathi, Dilip Sharma, A.K. Douglas, Arvind Singh, Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj, Ravi Ranjan, Deep Manohar, Dr Priti Samyukta, Dr Vijay Siddaramappa Hagargundgi, Pradeep M., and Sanjay Kr Singh present works that engage deeply with both tradition and contemporary practice.

The exhibition also gives significant space to folk art, acknowledging its enduring relevance and vitality. Senior artist and Padma Shri awardee Shanti Devi’s work stands as a testament to the richness of traditional practices, while Vinita Devi’s contributions to Pidiya painting highlight the continuity of regional artistic languages. Other artists such as Abhiram Das, Anushikha Joshi, Hema Devi, Narendra Kumar Panjiyara, Sajwa Devi, Sandhya Shukla, Sanjay Panhad, and Shivan Paswan further expand this section, demonstrating how folk traditions are not static relics but living, evolving forms that engage with contemporary realities.

In addition, the exhibition features a wide range of other artists, including Afnan Reyaz, Anita Jindal, Deepak, Drishti Gupta, Kuldeep Dogra, Manju Thakur, Ritu Jain, S.D. Johri, and Shailja, among others. Together, these artists contribute to a rich and varied artistic landscape, where multiple voices and perspectives coexist.

When viewed collectively, the works in Maati-3 create a cohesive yet dynamic vision of art. Despite differences in style, medium, and cultural background, a shared concern with the self emerges. This shared concern does not lead to uniformity; rather, it generates a dialogue where contrasts become meaningful. The works of international artists often reflect themes such as fragmentation of identity, existential uncertainty, and the questioning of established forms. In many cases, abstraction becomes a dominant mode, allowing artists to move beyond literal representation and engage with more fluid, open-ended meanings.

Some of these artists retain the human figure as a central element, yet even here, the figure is often transformed, distorted, or deconstructed. This approach suggests a shift away from fixed identities toward more complex and layered understandings of being. Life is not presented as a stable structure but as a field of possibilities, tensions, and ambiguities.

In contrast, many Indian artists in the exhibition approach the question of the self through the physical presence of the human body. Artists like Kanchan Mehra, Dilip Sharma, Pradeep M, Deep Manohar, Dr Priti Samyukta, and Dr Vijay Siddaramappa Hagargundgi use the body as a site of exploration, where the visible and the invisible intersect. Their works suggest that the self is not separate from the body but deeply embedded within it.

At the same time, other Indian artists such as Bipin Kumar, Jai Tripathi, Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj, and Sanjay Kumar Singh turn toward abstraction as a means of inquiry. Their works move beyond recognisable forms, seeking to capture the essence of experience rather than its outward appearance. In these abstractions, one can sense a search for new visual languages—ways of expressing the self that are not confined by conventional representation.

A.K. Douglas’s work stands at an interesting intersection, where form and formlessness coexist. His compositions suggest that the boundary between the two is not fixed but constantly shifting. Arvind Singh’s installations, on the other hand, create immersive environments that challenge the viewer’s perception of reality. By juxtaposing elements of the real and the unreal, his work invites reflection on the nature of experience itself. Ravi Ranjan’s black-and-white photographs offer yet another perspective, presenting images that feel almost philosophical or spiritual in their intensity. Stripped of colour, these photographs emphasise form, light, and shadow, creating a sense of depth that goes beyond the visual.

Across the exhibition, one can observe that the search for the self often begins with the body. The human form, in its physicality, becomes a point of entry into deeper questions. Through gesture, posture, fragmentation, or abstraction, artists attempt to move from the external to the internal. The body becomes both a subject and a medium—a way of navigating the complexities of existence.

Ultimately, Maati-3 is not just an exhibition of artworks; it is a space of encounter. It brings together different ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling, allowing them to interact and resonate with one another. Like clay that can take on countless forms once it is prepared, art too becomes a medium through which the self can be shaped, reshaped, and understood.

In this sense, the exhibition reminds us that art is not a finished product but an ongoing process. It is a journey without a final destination, a continuous act of becoming. Each artwork is a moment in this journey—a fragment of the artist’s search for meaning, identity, and truth. And in engaging with these works, viewers become participants in this search, encountering not only the artist’s self but, perhaps, their own.

By Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj