An ancient art form used to express present-day narratives, miniatures continue to influence ateliers and galleries. The meticulous techniques and elaborate motifs provide impetus to embark on personal journeys, finds Amishi Parekh
Desmond lazaro, Crossing the Med, 2015-16, pigment paint on handmade sanganer paper on with raise gild, 50 x 39 inches
Miniature paintings are a fixture in just about every Indian home. Many will recall encountering reproductions in books or frames, if not as prized originals. Owing to their ubiquity, the themes and motifs form a universal language that almost anyone, curator or common man, can instantly conjure up in their minds. The ancient Indian art form originated on palm leaves in the 10th century, and was followed by paper in the 14th century, as found in illustrated Buddhist manuscripts and Jain texts. As centuries passed by, these paintings chronicled the many battles won and lost, the stylistic influences of the winning party gleaming through. Today, while the Mughal school is most known, miniatures exist in a variety of styles, from Persian to Rajput and Pahari, among others. Despite their small scale, paintings were often worked on by entire workshops of artists. These paintings are intimate and beautiful, but their small size and forced perspective drive the viewer to maintain a distance. Though not typically immersive, they are always conscious of the distinction between art and reality.
Defining miniature art as it is practised today is contentious. Most agree that it involves incorporating either the age-old techniques or nilima sheikh, A Pastoral, 2003, mixed tempera on wasli paper, 70 x 40 cm its imagery into the artist’s work. Generally speaking, miniature art in present times is a tool an ancient art form used to express contemporary stories. languid scenes of courtly life become infused with layers of meaning as over-used tropes are given a new raison d’être by artists who utilise miniatures to break intellectual and cultural boundaries, and to explore complex themes using unambiguous imagery.
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Denne historien er fra July 2016-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
