SPLENDOUR OF

This month, Sotheby’s INSPIRED BY INDIA exhibition brings together a coteri of artists who pay homage to the country

Revered by many international artists, Indian arts and crafts have long held a draw of their own. Exotic, colourful, intricate, and featuring meticulous craftsmanship, it is these very leitmotifs that have catapulted our ethnic items to global repute.this month watch out for Sotheby’s Inspired by India, an exhibition that showcases the work of a bevy of artists fromtheworldover,whoarepayingobeisance to traditional Indian crafts.

The exhibition-cum-sale will feature ceramics, jewellery, furniture, and photographythatpickaleafoutoftheculture, colours, and crafts of India. Curated by Janice Blackburn and designed by Tricia Guild of Designers Guild, the exhibition incorporates traditional Indian designs like hand-beading, embroidery, and woven silks from Varanasi and the South that exemplify the tableau of Indian heritage.

“While travelling through India, I was fascinated by the skills of indigenous artisans and their exquisite craftsmanship. But I found that these artists were fast migrating to cities for other jobs since these long apprenticeships did not sustain their livelihood,” says Janice Blackburn. The curator’s oeuvre includes another India-inspired exhibition that took place in 2008, and was restricted to the works of Indian artists. “All the designers I have selected for this exhibition share a passion for India, and have successfully captured the essence of its rich craftsmanship.” Perusetheworkof Katiemcbride—famous for her wonderful, irreverent ceramics—who has created beautiful porcelain teapots and bowls based on the theme of ‘Bollywood Nights’. Alsopart of theexhibitionischristina Kim’scollectionofshawls inspiredbyphulkari work. The grandmaster of Indian design, Sabyasachi Mukherjee showcases his prowess with wedding saris, alongside a range of specially commissioned shawls and headbands. Master enameller Alice Cicolini will present distinctive sets with precious and semi-precious stones from Jaipur. Wrap, the Indian luxury design company, will present wood furniture wrapped in gold and silver. The show will also feature Milan-based Luisa Cevesa’s bags that incorporate saris from Indian hinterlands. And lastly, photographer Gita Pandit’s images of Indian life will be offered alongside vintage Bollywood film posters by Indian Hippy, a Mumbai-based collective of billboard artists, which completes the plethora of expressions.