Meena Hasan’s ‘Untitled (Shirt)’

Hasan's piece for the auction, 'Untitled (shirt)', belongs to an ongoing series titled "from life", which traces its origins to the artist's point of view paintings made before graduating from the Yale School of Art. Within these PoV paintings, the artist sustains a hyperawareness of the painting's rectangular form to serve as a bridge between the viewer and the artwork. "The way I compose my paintings often involves bumping into the edge or activating the edge as an invitation to the world or the self-awareness of itself as a constructed space." Conceived from observations of clothing or organic block floral objects around the artist, they reflect and mirror her physical and psychological landscapes. In "Untitled (shirt)", the shirt appears to pulsate against its confines, exuding a figurative quality, while it responds to its own gestures and format. "I was using my body as the frame for looking at the world, what it means to be part of a diaspora, and how that affects the way I move through and understand experiences, history, and culture," she says.

Excerpt from Meena Hasan’s profile for Bonhams.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Avijit Halder’s "ghost", Baruipur India

Avijit Halder's journey commenced with the Academy Award-winning documentary 'Born into Brothels' in 2004. The film, 'Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids' written and directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, follows Briski's journey through Sonagachi in Kolkata, India. Upon reaching the district, she began to teach sex workers' children the basics of photography. Halder was among the eight kids she taught. This documentary played a profoundly pivotal role in shaping his early identity.

Excerpt from Avijit Halder’s profile for Bonhams.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Ayesha Kamal Khan’s ‘placeholder (sleeping dragon), N 33° 40' 58.1063", E 72° 59' 29.5449’

Born in New York, Ayesha Kamal Khan's work serves as a reflective interplay between tangible and intangible facets of the spaces we inhabit. It enhances the intricate layers of 'placehood', its infinite arrangements, and its incapacity for translation. Based between New York and Islamabad, Pakistan, Khan is a recent fellow of the Whitney Independent Study Program 2022-23. She completed her BFA from the National College of Arts, Pakistan in 2011 and an MFA from Pratt Institute in 2015. Her work has been exhibited internationally including Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, the Cuadro Gallery in Dubai, and the Queens Museum in New York. She also presently teaches at the New York Academy of Art and Pratt Institute.

Excerpt from Ayesha Kamal Khan's profile for Bonhams.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Preetika Rajgariah’s ‘spread the light, be the lighthouse’

Preetika Rajgariah is a queer multidisciplinary artist based in Houston, Texas. Rooted in a community where art was primarily regarded as a hobby, she initially steered towards a pre-med course–following a familiar South Asian path. However, a pivotal moment during her undergraduate years at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas in 2008 unravelled a previously hidden possibility. It was a chance encounter within the art building that unveiled the notion that art could transcend mere hobbyism. This revelation sparked a radical shift in Rajgariah's aspirations, challenging societal norms and steering her towards a pursuit of genuine fulfilment through art.

Excerpt from Preetika Rajgariah's profile for Bonhams.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Zimbiri’s ‘Entangled Tail’

Over time, her practice grew from the pursuit of precision to the embrace of intentional abstraction, representing narratives that sang of her assimilated experiences. Her process unfolded unexpectedly—as visions materialising before slumber or as echoes of vivid memories that had long laid dormant. "When I was younger, I would see something and want to recreate it. I was very mindful of the fact that I wanted to be technically sound enough to make decisions. I was very conscious of being able to recreate some things and then making the choice to change it if I wanted to," she concludes.

Excerpt from Zimbiri’s profile for Bonhams.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Who Are the Standout Galleries at Art Dubai 2024?

Leila Heller, Sabrina Amrani, and NIKA Project Space orchestrated some of the most compelling booths at this year's fair.

Text by Shreya Ajmani for Ocula.

Portals Of Diversity: The Alchemy Of Kieu Tran And Trishla Jain's Practices

Within Tran’s sculptures, ethereal whispers echo in the hollows, intertwining with Jain’s metaphysical paintings. Together, they form a narrative, born from the depths of introspection, transformation, and rebirth.

Excerpt from Mash.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Photo by Shaun Roberts. Courtesy of Glass Rice.

India Art Fair 2024 Reveals India’s Greatest Power

Commenting on the recent India Art Fair, @JerryGogosian, the alter ego of gallerist Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, remarked: 'The fusion of traditional and modern influences indicates to me that India's soft power, art, will be its greatest power.'

Text by Shreya Ajmani for Ocula.

Bonhams presents 'The Asia Edit: Contemporary Art from the South Asian Diaspora'

Bonhams is pleased to present 'The Asia Edit: Contemporary Art from the South Asian Diaspora', an auction uniting artists from mesmerising pockets of South Asia. From New Delhi to Dhaka to Bhutan, it features some of the most sensational names from the subcontinent, including Avijit Halder, Ayesha Kamal Khan, geetha thurairajah, Jasmir Creed, Kirthana Selvaraj, Md Tokon, Meena Hasan, Preetika Rajgariah, Vikram Kushwah, and Zimbiri. Through themes that reclaim one's identity, champion self-acceptance, and seek refuge in daydreams amidst a perpetually transient existence, the works encapsulate the inner conviction that eventually surfaces when one feels like an anomaly within their surroundings. Through personalised interviews and essays, the edit strives to provide each participating artist with the ability to weave a cohesive narrative of their distinct perspective and practice.

Shreya Ajmani, a writer who explores the global impact of art from South Asia and its diaspora has curated this auction for Bonhams. She previously led 'The Trailblazers' project for Bonhams and has selected ten artists with whom she has conducted interviews. 

Mumbai Art Scene Boosted by Gallery Weekend, New Galleries

The city's stock as a contemporary art hub has risen with the arrival of a new art fair and spaces including Gallery XXL and Nature Morte.

Text by Shreya Ajmani for Ocula.

Text on Artist Md Tokon on display for Open Studio in Brooklyn, New York

'Love Letter to the World' is the title for Md Tokon's open studio in Brooklyn, New York, on display through January 2024. 

The writing displayed is a profile on Tokon, written for 'The Asia Edit: Contemporary Art from the South Asian Diaspora' with Bonhams, scheduled to take place from January 17-31, 2024.

Text by Shreya Ajmani on Md Tokon for Bonhams.

Galleries and Collectors Applaud Inaugural Art Mumbai

India's financial capital welcomed the art fair's arrival, which many saw as long overdue.

Text by Shreya Ajmani for Ocula.

ARISING by Yoko Ono

As part of Yoko Ono’s project titled 'Arising,' the Vancouver Art Gallery displayed testaments from individuals who self-identify as women to be part of an installation for an exhibition entitled 'GROWING FREEDOM: The instructions of Yoko Ono and The art of John and Yoko,' on view from October 9, 2021, until May 1, 2022. The writings are presently in Yoko Ono's archive. 

The Inimitable Kiran Nadar

What do you hope for visitors to experience when they visit the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art?

I want people to visit and get associated with art. They don’t have to be collectors. They don’t have to be buyers. They don’t have to be looking for art for their home. It’s important that if there’s a large heritage of art in our background, people start appreciating what India has achieved.

Excerpt from Kiran Nadar’s Interview on Art She Says.

Text by Shreya Ajmani

Inside the Coveted Mumbai Gallery Weekend

Mumbai Gallery Weekend is a collaborative initiative by the city’s leading contemporary art galleries and auction houses. Since its inception in 2012, the event’s ambit has grown to include new galleries and cultural spaces. Nonetheless, the primary objective has remained the same – to bring together potential art collectors and enthusiasts to expand the reach and significance of contemporary art.

Text and photograph by Shreya Ajmani for Art She Says.

What is François Ghebaly’s “Strong Winds Ahead” trying to tell us?

Finally, François Ghebaly himself says, “These exhibitions are important for the gallery. We try to host institutional group shows at least once a year, using the gallery as a platform to amplify the voice of young curators or artists (such are Myriam Ben Salah, Franklin Melendez or Kelly Akashi), and to articulate their vision of the world today through these shows. They often take root in Los Angeles, but not always. Each show has allowed us to build bridges across generations of artists and enhance our understanding of current voices in art. These shows take a lot of work and I am especially proud of them. They are not just group shows constructed to sell art; they are genuine attempts to build a commentary and an understanding of contemporary culture and art practices. They are an important part of the identity of the gallery, and I couldn’t be more pleased with Lekha’s curation for ‘Strong Winds Ahead’.”

Excerpt from Mash.

Text by Shreya Ajmani.

Photo by Eli Ping. Courtesy of François Ghebaly Gallery.

On Purpose

Vadehra Art Gallery

Vadehra Art Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition by some of the most exciting names in contemporary Indian art and literature. The exhibition includes artists Anju Dodiya, Atul Bhalla, Gigi Scaria, Jagannath Panda, K.M. Madhusudhanan, Praneet Soi, Ranbir Kaleka, Shrimanti Saha, Sudhir Patwardhan, Sunil Gupta, Nalini Malani and Ashim Purkayastha and meaningful contributions by writers Jeet Thayil, Nonita Kalra, Shruti Kapur Malhotra, Meena Kandasamy, Janice Pariat, Manju Sara Rajan, Anindita Ghose, Akhil Katyal, Gayatri Rangachari Shah, Anish Gawande, Kabir Jhala and Shreya Ajmani alongside the powerful works, opening up the discourse of a white-cube space to interdisciplinary interventions.

On display from May 27 to July 10, 2023.