Stop and Stay

In gallery-years, three is a good time to stand still for a bit and reflect. And Arshiya Lokhandwala8217;s Lakeeren has the viewers doing just that on its third anniversary show, Aparanta.

The adrenaline of Altered Altar, its last show has given way to a more meditative experience of abstract works by some of India8217;s greatest artists. And carefully chosen works of Ramkumar, Ganesh Haloi, Laxman Shreshta, Rajendra Dhawan, S H Raza, V S Gaitonde and Prabhakar Kolte fill the British Council8217;s large space with a quality of contemplation.

Lokhandwala says that turning three and moving closer to the millennium at the same time seemed to be a good reason to pause, reflect and look beyond. So the title came much before the show took shape. A Sanskrit word, Aparanta means approaching the infinite and the 25 works shown here have that energy to draw viewers into introspection and thought. Putting up the paintings on the walls too was an experience of a different realm. Lokhandwala applied the sameprinciple she learnt at a Feng-shui workshop and says that it definitely increased the energy of the show.