Square Root

The invite to her exhibition is a work of art in itself. The five kg book is a collector’s item,given that it packs in 25 years of her artistic oeuvre and is priced at an exorbitant Rs 6,000. The art too,as usual,speaks for itself. Showing in Delhi after five years,this time,Paris-Based Bajaj has replaced her usual paperwork and canvases for acrylics on canvas.

While the exhibition at Alliance Française,hosted by Art Alive Gallery,features 15 of Bajaj’s flaming colourful canvases that are marked by strong bold lines,the book,written by art critic Michel Waldberg,is an easy read. It features a collection of black-and-white photographs that capture the growth of the spirited Rajasthani girl who grew into a demure Parisian lady over the last 20 years. It even includes a portrait with her mentor SH Raza’s artwork. “The publishing house,La Difference,is known to have brought out books on artists like Pablo Picasso,Paul Cezanne and SH Raza. The first time I was approached by the publisher,I said no because I was already working on a book for my solo in India in 2007. However,when they approached me the second time I was honoured. I said yes,” says Bajaj who is the second Indian to be featured by the publishing house.

Closely involved with the publication,Bajaj traced several of her old photographs for the project. So among others there are images of her early collages and printmaking works,where text from the Vedas and the recurring leitmotif of a coiled piece of rope,make an appearance. “I’ve documented my work on high-resolution slides from the beginning of my art career in Pune,which is why it was easy to print them in the book,” says the artist.

There is also a reason behind the use of rich colours and strips of gold leaf in her current suite of paintings. “The remoter the place I am in,the more colourful my palette becomes. I was in Iceland,in the wilderness,when the inspiration to paint these canvases came to me. Before me,

I had a dormant volcano and the world’s second largest glacier,Langjokull. The contrast of the white glacier and black earth led me to a new series and a different palette that is inspired by bhoomi (earth),” says Bajaj,whose works are priced between Rs 4 and 22 lakh.

The show is on till November 28. Contact: Alliance Française,43500200