Art News India

-By Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

If one wishes to understand an artist’s work in its true dimensions and context, there can be no more effective way than visiting the artist’s studio, seeing the work in person, and talking to the artist about it. On the afternoon of 19 August 2026, I had just such an opportunity at Sakshi Bajaj’s studio. A member of Quartz Collective, Sakshi Bajaj has achieved several significant milestones in her long artistic journey. I have seen her work before and have also had the opportunity to write about it, but this studio visit offered a different experience—one that allowed me to look at her art more closely and gain a deeper understanding of her creative process. Also present on the occasion were fellow members of Quartz Collective—Ritu Singh Panday, Nitasha Jaini, Ragini Sinha, Ritu Aggarwal, Sanju Das and Gitanjali Kashyap.

Understanding Sakshi Bajaj’s multilayered process of creation was particularly fascinating. Instead of brushes, she works with her hands as well as a variety of unconventional art tools. Building up thick layers of colour, she creates abstract paintings that possess not only a strong structural beauty but also an element of mystery. The colours peeping through from beneath the uppermost layer of the canvas arouse curiosity. They seem to be asserting their presence, almost saying that their story, too, deserves to be heard. In this sense, Sakshi’s paintings are not merely an experience of looking; they are also an invitation to listen.

The suggestion of certain letters and forms emerging among the colours feels like a dialogue taking place in a hushed voice. This dialogue lies at the heart of Sakshi’s art. As she herself says, she tries to awaken a sense of dialogue through her art. This dialogue manifests itself at several levels in her work. At one level are abstract human forms, sometimes distinct and sometimes blurred, asserting their presence on the canvas.

Another important layer is the writing that is never entirely legible, yet remains perceptible. These traces of writing are connected to the memory of mantras and shlokas—an integral part of our cultural tradition, but one that we are gradually allowing ourselves to forget. Sakshi is deeply sensitive to her cultural heritage. For her, art is not merely a visual experience; it is also a means of engaging with memory, tradition and cultural consciousness. The blurred presence of mantras and shlokas seems to point towards a heritage that surrounds us yet is gradually moving away from our everyday consciousness. The need to preserve it and carry it forward to future generations emerges as an important undercurrent in her work.

The studio visit was also a special experience for Sakshi’s fellow artists. During the conversation, questions arose about her choice of colours, her creative process and her artistic vision, as well as about various aspects of life beyond art. Sakshi listened patiently to every question and responded to each one with equal thoughtfulness. Through this exchange, the connection between her personality and her art also became increasingly apparent.

Seeing an artist’s work simply by standing before a finished canvas is one kind of experience. Listening, in the artist’s own voice, to the process, ideas and emotions that lie behind that canvas is an entirely different one. In this sense, the afternoon spent at Sakshi Bajaj’s studio was memorable. In trying to listen to the hidden dialogue among the colours on her canvases, several new meanings in her art seemed to reveal themselves. There is still much more to write about Sakshi’s art. A longer piece will explore in greater detail the layers of her work, her understanding of colour, and her deep engagement with cultural memory.