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13/4/2009

Tarshito

The Nehru Centre, London

Conceptualised by the Rome-based art curator and journalist Daniela Bezzi in association with EJB Communications in London, this exhibition is the first presentation in the UK of an outstanding creative collaboration with the myriad crafts of India by the contemporary Italian artist, architect and art pro- fessor Nicola Strippoli, better known by his Sanskrit name: Tarshito.

His first creative journey to the subcontinent in the mid-80s resulted in a se- ries of objects and furniture pieces infused with a unique ritualistic quality, in particular the series Carpets of Meditation of 1987. But it was in 2001 and thanks to the guidance of mentors like Laila Tyabji (Chairperson of Dastkar), O. P. Jain (Director of the Sanskriti Foundation) and especially Jyotindra Jain, at that time Director of the Crafts Museum of New Delhi, that Tarshito had the opportunity to propose a collaborative exhibition whose preparation lasted more than one year.

Entitled The Gold and the Clay and conceived as a series of workshops inside the Crafts Museum and around Delhi (and also in parts of Rajasthan), that exhibition established Tarshito as one of the most vibrant interpreters of art as a ‘confluence of traditions’. As in the words of Jyotindra Jain, in his essay for the exhibition catalogue: ‘... the success of the collaborative work lay in the fact that the Indian counter- parts of the project did not speak or understand Tarshito’s verbal language nor did Tarshito theirs. From the beginning both were conditioned to work with the language of each other’s inner vision and intuition...’

This new exhibition at The Nehru Centre aims to document how much Tarshito’s creative path owes and also gives back to India, tapping the pri- stine simplicity and richness of its myriad crafts. From carpet-weaving to embroidery, from terracotta modelling to miniature painting, from the most remote tribal traditions to his latest gigantic vases, Tarshito’s art defines itself in terms of personal interaction and shared inspiration.

As a journey that in every chapter speaks of his commitment to discovery and research. Beside the stunning series of embroidered wall hangings on the theme of The Warrior of Love (in association with Gauri and Parvati Bai and Manu Ben, under the direction of Laila Tyabji, Dastkar), in dialogue with the first prototype created in 1991 by Firak Di Bello, The Nehru Centre show will feature works created in collaboration with: Kamlesh and Umesh Ratna (Warli tribal painting tradition, Maharashtra) Puspa Rao (Patachitra and palm leaf painting, Orissa) Abdulgafoor and Samar Khatri Daud (Rogan art tradition, Gujarath) Baua Devi (Madhubani tradition from Bihar) Mukesh with Raju Swami and Ashok with Deepak Sharma (miniature painting tradition of Bikaner, Rajasthan) Manu Chitrakar (Pattua painter and story teller, West Bengal) Kasam Adam Sangar and Aachar Maya Marvada (from Kutch, Gujarath) Elizabeth Bara Imam and Chamni Ganju (from the Hazaribagh School of painting, Jharkhand)

Complementing the show, there is a selection of objects (bowls, vessels, turtles, architectural models, human figures in celebrating postures) realized with the Apulian craftpeople who have been contributing to Tarshito’s New Humanity Project since the beginning: Benedetto and Benedetta Martinelli (ceramists), Andrea Natuzzi, Deva Prem, Frank Ventura (art and drawings).

Opening 14 April at 6pm

The Nehru Centre,
8 South Audley Street, London
Open: From Wednesday 15 April till Saturday 25 April
(closed on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April)
Visiting hours: from 2pm to 8pm
Admission free

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