‘Musawwari': Contemporary artists usher miniature painting into the modern era

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. At Ojas Art, New Delhi, an Untitled work by Bristol-based artist Jethro Buck catches the eye. Through one canvas, he has brought the past and present of miniature painting together.

In what seems like an autobiographical work, the artist can be seen sketching while seated within a lush landscape. Facing him is a master painter—perhaps Ajay Sharma under whom Buck learnt the techniques of Indian miniature painting—, who too is creating a work, while seated at a traditional desk as seen in the ateliers of Rajasthan. Both are creating their own interpretations of the surrounding landscape, which is populated with the real and the fantastical.

For instance, a crescent moon hangs from a tree, while animals and birds watch on. This Untitled work stands out for creating a contemporary interpretation of the miniature painting tradition, as Buck celebrates nature in his own style. Many such works by 22 artists—from South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US— like Gargi Chandola, Keerat Kaur, Maha Ahmed Qureshi, Manish Soni, Yasmin Hayat and Vaishali Prazmari form a part of the ongoing show, Musawwari: Miniatures Today.

The title of the show draws from the Persian term, musawwari, referring to the traditional style of miniature painting in South Asia. According to curator Khushboo Jain, the art form has been porous in nature, engaging in dialogue, over time, with elements from the Chinese landscapes and Central Asian figures. This exchange has played a key role in developing the visual language of musawwari.