VHC is pleased to present works by Aparajita Jain Mahajan, Debasree Das, Deepika Sakhat, Demos Chiang, Harisha Chennangod, Kanan Koteshwar, Monali Meher, M. Pravat, Reza Derakshani, Samim Alam Beg, and Yashna Kaul in its debut presentation at Art Mumbai. The presentation includes a dedicated wall for emerging artists, collectively reflecting on what it means to belong, observe, and shape the spaces we call “home.” Together, these artists present a conversation around home—not merely as a physical space, but as an evolving idea shaped by memory, time, and the ever-changing landscapes of our lives.
In his works, M. Pravat engages deeply with urbanization, examining the continual expansion of cities and the homes within them. He explores the tension between creation and destruction, reflecting on how our urban environments are constantly built, deconstructed, and rebuilt. In contrast, Monali Meher approaches home through the lens of time and movement, especially within the context of migration and transience. Her performances and object-based works, often wrapped and rewrapped, echo the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of belonging.
Aparajita Jain Mahajan examines care and hope through her intimate mixed-media works using inherited threads and materials. Her works reflect home as a space of mending and repairing, whether of material or emotional connections. Debasree Das steps beyond the confines of home, looking outward at society. Her narrative-driven mixed media paintings combine the personal and political, offering an intimate portrayal of the world as she seeks moments of hope and joy amidst societal challenges. Harisha Chennangod constructs layered abstract works with repetitive patterns that evoke a meditative rhythm, drawing from rural landscapes and memories to depict home as a contemplative and spiritual space.
Kanan Koteshwar delves into preservation and memory, weaving her museological background into delicate embroidered works that celebrate the impermanence and revival of forgotten histories, whereas Samim Alam Beg explores the materiality of home through sculptures that intertwine architecture and organic forms, highlighting the coexistence of decay and resilience. Yashna Kaul reflects on home through photography, using family albums to explore the delicate balance between memory and forgetting, especially in relation to personal and collective histories.
Demos Chiang uses animals as metaphors for resilience, often celebrating their presence and perseverance in the face of human encroachment. His mixed-media works offer a poetic reflection on life’s transience, emphasizing the fragility of ecosystems. Similarly, Deepika Sakhat finds solace in the natural world, capturing the freedom of birds and landscapes in her work, offering a meditative escape from the urban intensity that shapes her perception of home. Finally, Reza Derakshani continues to blend abstraction and figuration, exploring themes of exile, alienation, and the natural world. His rich, layered canvases present a complex dialogue between cultural identity, home, and the universal quest for belonging.
These eleven contemporary artists together present works that transcend geographical boundaries, delving into the intersection of personal history, material memory, and the ever-evolving contemporary landscape, thereby rendering a deep exploration of what it means to inhabit, observe, and be shaped by the idea of home.