Praneet Soi

Praneet Soi defines complexity as a multiplicity of relationships, using patterns as a charged ground which activates storytelling. His oeuvre oftentimes presents itself through juxtaposition; a stream of imagery from seemingly disparate sources joined together by threads of personal experience, culminating in politicized landscapes that trace how symbols migrate across cultures, landscapes and shifting modes of perception. These patterns tend to be architecturally derived, often gleaned from Khatamband wood panelling that adorns the ceilings of traditional homes in Kashmir. Over the past decade Soi has been experimenting with traditional Kashmiri motifs with craftsmen in Srinagar, nurturing a sensitivity to pattern that bleeds into his paintings created within his Amsterdam studio. Materiality is central to Soi’s practice. The low relief of the patterns, laid out in textured ground, creates an optical effect that is offset by the experimental washes that separate them. Formal and conceptual intertwining is present in his continuing use of silverpoint, an ancient technique that looks like pencil but is in fact permanent. It oxidizes, allowing the image to gradually become warmer, much like the way traditional photographs traditionally aged. This medium allows Soi to connect drawing, central to his practice, with his extensive use of photography as reference material within his imagery. ...

Founded in 1987, Vadehra Art Gallery is a pioneer of South Asian art, representing artists across four generations from the Indian Subcontinent and its diaspora, helping to shape it as a celebration of culture, identity and intellect. As a confidante to art history and a champion of contemporary creativity, the gallery nurtures a dynamic and flourishing ecosystem where the artist and their work take centre stage, promoting a legacy of artistic expression that resonates with global audiences. The gallery is recognized for its early support of modern masters such as M.F. Husain, Ram Kumar, S.H. Raza, and Tyeb Mehta, alongside subsequent generations of post-modernists like Arpita Singh, A. Ramachandran, Nalini Malani, Gulammohammed Sheikh, and Rameshwar Broota. Its expansive contemporary programme emphasizes influential names such as Atul Dodiya, Shilpa Gupta, Anju Dodiya, N.S. Harsha, Gauri Gill and Sunil Gupta, as well as emerging talent like Zaam Arif, Biraaj Dodiya and Ashfika Rahman. ...