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Walking into Abadi Art always transports you to a different place. Jose Abad and Billy Stewart turn their lovely three-storey house at Vasant Kunj into a gallery every time there is an exhibition.

Written by Anushreemajumdar |
May 5, 2009 9:58:29 pm

Abadi Art brings together a few odes to Beijing

Walking into Abadi Art always transports you to a different place. Jose Abad and Billy Stewart turn their lovely three-storey house at Vasant Kunj into a gallery every time there is an exhibition. This month,run your fingertips gently over Chinese wooden furniture as you train your eyes on the walls of the living room where the latest exhibition,Made in China: Global Artists in Beijing,is on.

The exhibition brings together eight painters and photographers,four filmmakers and a musician from across the globe as they interpret their lives in and memories of Beijing. The focus,Abad says,was to bring international artists together. While there are a few Indian artists such as Vineet Kumar,M Sovan Kumar and Vidura Jang B,Abad has also sourced works by Ecuadorian artist Diana Valarezo and American musician Bruce Gremo who has woven in Chinese flute music with computer-generated sounds. Stewart lived in Beijing for nine years and I was there for six. What we were looking for was a way to bring together artists who had a deep relationship with Beijing and showcase their art, says Abad,who is participating in the exhibition as well.

Kumars oils on canvas hang in a sequence over Abads lush white sofa the leaves painted in delicate bush strokes that he learnt in Beijing. The paintings are on the ground floor while Gremos audio installation plays upstairs. The artists like that their works are not being displayed in a conventional space, says Abad. The highlights of the exhibition are Valarezos paintings and photographs and Dutch artist Tjyying Lius phallic installations.