From abstract to 3D art, these five artists cut across mediums and practices to make work that engages with the modern times
While art can often have an intimidating effect on many, a crew of young artists are not only making inroads and breaking preconceived notions about art, but are also levelling the playing field of accessibility by directly interacting with their audiences on Instagram and other platforms. There’s Biraaj Dodiya with her abstracts, as she readies for another solo opening soon and there’s Viraaj Desai whose works meld art and technology. United Kingdom-based Jemisha Maadhavji seeks to answer questions about the ever-evolving meaning of beauty with her portraits, while Tarini Sethi’s drawings often merge politics with folk art references. Then there is Khyati Trehan, who uses technology to make stunning pieces. Let’s get to know these artists better:
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Biraaj Dodiya (@biraajdodiya)
Mumbai-based visual artist Biraaj Dodiya is known for her abstract work that engages with themes such as absence and impermanence. With an MFA from New York University in 2018 and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015, Dodiya had her first solo show in March 2020 at Kolkata’s Experimenter, Hindustan Road, with a show titled ‘Stone Is A Forehead’. While the corporal process of erasure and repair is apparent as she evokes nocturnal landscapes, her sculptures use a variety of paraphernalia ranging from studio items to personal objects and discarded things. Daughter of artists Anju and Atul Dodiya, Biraaj, in previous interviews, has attributed a portion of the development of her style of art to the time spent with her parents and their friends across their homes, studios, museums and galleries.
Image: Artist's Instagram profile
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Jemisha Maadhavji (@jemisha_maadhavji)
United Kingdom-based Jemisha Maadhavji uses art to let the colours and subjects explore the themes of gender and identity. Her subjects are diverse, often from various cultural backgrounds and are first photographed in a studio. Oil paint on surfaces such as wood, canvas, paper and metal comes into the fray as she creates artwork in delicate layers. Fashion is a key element as Maadhavji’s subjects often use their clothes in a nuanced way when tackling gender and sexuality. The artist asks: “what beauty means now?” She also likes motifs and the symbolism behind the peacock feather and the rose. She holds an MA in Fine Arts from De Montfort University, Leicester, UK and has shown her work at multiple exhibitions.
Image: Artist's Instagram profile
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Tarini Sethi (@tarinisethi)
A New Delhi-based artist and curator, Tarini Sethi explores themes of intimacy, body consciousness and sexuality in her quest for a world sans judgment. Folk tales, urban architecture and even modern politics resonate through her drawings. Ink on paper and sculptures made with iron are her preferred mediums. In her curatorial journey, Sethi tries to provide a platform for independent artists and is the founder and curator of the Irregulars Art Fair (an “anti-art-fair”) and The Irregular Times, an art and design zine showcasing the works of persons of colour from across the world. Sethi has studied at New York’s Pratt Institute and credits the development of her style to her participation in group exhibitions in New York.
Image: Artist's Instagram profile.
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Khyati Trehan (@khyatitrehan)
National Institute of Design-trained Khyati Trehan is a New Delhi-based graphic designer and 3D visual artist who has undertaken projects for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, TheNew York Times, Apple, Google and Instagram. Her work during her initial years, which saw her creative take on typeface catch the attention of a wide spectrum of audiences, has now evolved into her preoccupation with 3D technology. Trehan’s work with the materiality of “tangible and intangible” forms sees her merge her sense of aesthetics with her love for science and the result is a perfect fusion of technology and art.
Image: Artist's Instagram profile.
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Viraag Desai (@viraagd)
Based out of Kolkata and Mumbai, Viraag Desai is a multimedia artist whose practice uses technology, reflected in his 3D artworks. Photogrammetry and 3D -scanning fused with more conventional mediums such as watercolours and collage/decollaging, and the more form-oriented 3D figures, are just some examples of how Desai, who has a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, blurs the lines between the digital and the analogue worlds. Often using his experience as a sound and set designer, Desai’s practice lies in the intersection of art and technology that has seen the artist earn rave reviews for his multiple shows across India and the United States.
Image: Artist & Gallery Art Exposure
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