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Scottish artist Olivia Fraser’s solo exhibition The Journey Within is opening at Delhi's British Council on February 26, for a month. Along with her fare of using Indian miniature iconography to explore the universalist appeal of motifs like the lotus and Hindu gods, there’s more to expect. Namely, a performance that sits at the intersection of movement, soundscape, and Dhrupad-inspired live music.
First and most importantly: RSVP is mandatory for the preview, so don't leave it to the last minute. Register via the link in Nature Morte's Instagram bio. The British Council's safeguarding standards are in effect throughout, and given that New Delhi's legal drinking age sits at 25, hospitality will be managed accordingly.
The 7pm performance on the preview day will bring together poet-dancer Tishani Doshi, sound artist Jason Singh, visual designer Samuel T Sawain, violinist Sharat Chandra Srivastava, tabla player Gyan Singh, and lighting designer Deepa D.
It's the kind of interdisciplinary collision that sounds like it could easily tip into chaos, but with this lineup, the odds are very much in the audience's favour. Since the exhibit is open till March 25, there'll be plenty of time to return for a more contemplative look.
Fraser moved to India in 1989 to be with her then fiancé William Dalrymple, partly tracing the footsteps of her kinsman James Baillie Fraser, who painted Delhi's monuments and landscapes in the early 1800s. Her early work was deeply influenced by a hybrid tradition where Indian artists merged Eastern and Western techniques.
Then in 2005, she made the decisive move of studying traditional Indian miniature painting under Jaipuri and Delhi masters, immersing herself in gem-like stone pigments, intricate brushwork, and burnished surfaces. She cites Nathdwara pichwai painting and early nineteenth-century Jodhpuri painting as particularly formative influences.
Preview: February 26, 6-9pm (performance at 7pm).
On view until: March 25
Opening hours: Mon-Sun. 10am-5pm.
Address: British Council. 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110 001