NANDITA JAIN

WIDELY APPRECIATED FOR HER BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED RESIDENCE AND FARMHOUSES AND IDENTIFIED AS A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY BEHIND INOX MULTIPLEXES, HELLO! MEETS A VIVACIOUS SPIRIT NOW EXPRESSING HERSELF THROUGH A NEW ART FORM

- NEEVA JAIN

Upon meeting Nandita Jain, wife of Vivek Jain (of the INOX Group of Companies), in the capital, one feels a sense of anticipation. One has sensed a lady who knows her mind, a lady rich in cultural exposure and a lady whose enthusiasm for life and experiment is infectious.

In fact, it is her latest avatar as an artist, that has triggered this interaction with HELLO! The lively Nandita affirms, “I am an artist. I believe that I am one, and I am confident in this.”

Her proclamation sets the tone for a healthy exchange. She reveals that her chosen medium is sculpture. “Sculptures have always intrigued me; the methodology and process that goes into creating each piece.”

When one visits Nandita’s elegantly appointed and understated mansion at Delhi’s Golf Links and her farmhouses in Delhi and Baroda, one can see that when Nandita sets her mind to something, she will execute it to perfection. When struck by the need to cultivate skills in a new form, the perfectionist signed up for some adult art courses in London and Baroda. “So I did general courses at Sotheby’s and at the Victoria & Albert Museum, focusing on art appreciation and sculpting techniques,” she shares. “Doing these art courses, I got a feel of how to play and mould with fibres, which is my medium.”

She put her heart and soul into making a collection of works, explaining that the smaller ones take anywhere from five to six days, and the larger ones take around 15 to 18 days to be fully ready. After focusing intensely on building a series of sculptures, she then took her own sweet time thinking up a suitable name for her brand, finally locating the perfect nomenclature: “Merraki is the name of my artistic brand. It’s Greek and means putting a little of yourself in everything that you create.”