Art Avatars

While Madame Tussauds in London is preparing to unveil the wax statue of Sachin Tendulkar,at Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi the master blaster attains the status of a demigod on silk.

While Madame Tussauds in London is preparing to unveil the wax statue of Sachin Tendulkar,at Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi the master blaster attains the status of a demigod on silk. Jaipur-based artists have dressed him not in the blue India tee,but as Hanuman,with an MRF bat in hand. Sachin is the new Hanuman for some, says Gautam Bhatia. The architect did not paint the oil on silk,but was involved in its conceptualisation,as he spent hours with traditional artists who gave Tendulkar the mythological avatar.

At Bhatias Gulmohar Park studio,he worked alongside graphic artist Orijit Sen and over 20 traditional artists from Bihar,West Bengal,Delhi and Rajasthan. The aim was to get the traditional artists to depict modern lifestyle and themes instead of folk and epic tales that they have painted for several years, says Bhatia,as he explains the aim of the collaborative arts project Desh Ki Awaaz that was initiated in December 2004.

Now,the outcome is on display at Shridharani Gallery,Triveni Kala Sangam. The familiar faces in the artwork include Railways Minister Lalu Prasad heading towards Rashtrapati Bhavan in an oil on silk (above),and Osama Bin Laden with Saddam Hussain in his heart. Depicting political corruption is a watercolour on wood MP to Manure that asserts that corrupt ministers deserve to be converted into manure,and the terror threat has gunmen protecting a prayer hall in a watercolour on paper called Prayer. There is some black humour but the aim is to depict reality. These are issues that concern us, says Bhatia.

While the exhibition will travel to Mumbai and Bangalore,also on the anvil,as part of the project,is an animation film by Sen,Carnama,which will depict the journey of a white Ambassador car. It is a symbol of power and authority. The fictional narrative will take off from political and social events, says Bhatia.

The exhibition at Shridharani Gallery is on from March 9 to 19

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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