Helicopter, From the series The Indian Emergency

Vivan Sundaram

Helicopter, From the series The Indian Emergency, 197627.94 x 38.1cmSign in to view price
Details
MaterialGallery
graphite, brush, pen and ink on paperVadehra Art Gallery
Description
Human-crafted. AI-refined.

This striking monochrome drawing depicts a curious avian creature with distinctive features. The dominant shapes are the large, rounded mushroom-like appendages on its head, rendered in intricate cross-hatching that creates a sense of texture and volume. The bird's body is composed of rounded, overlapping forms, giving it a tactile, almost sculptural quality. The overall composition is balanced and symmetrical, drawing the viewer's attention to the unusual combination of organic and abstract elements. This surreal, fantastical depiction likely reflects the artist's imaginative exploration of the natural world, inviting the viewer to ponder the boundaries between reality and fantasy. ...

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Helicopter, From the series The Indian Emergency
Artist
Vivan Sundaram
B.1943, Indian

Vivan Sundaram transformed installation, painting, sculpture, photography, and video into explorations of history, memory, and socio-political realities. His art often examined the intersections of personal and collective experience, tracing the impact of cultural, political, and social upheavals in contemporary India. Sundaram frequently recontextualized everyday objects and archival materials to construct narratives reflecting trauma, displacement, and the passage of time. Central to his practice was the use of layering, juxtaposition, and assemblage to reveal hidden connections between memory, history, and material culture. His works addressed the legacies of colonialism, partition, and industrialization, while also engaging with contemporary social and political issues. Through immersive installations and mixed-media compositions, Sundaram created environments that invited viewers to navigate the complexities of memory, identity, and societal structures. By blending personal and historical narratives, he fashioned spaces where past and present, fact and fiction, and material and symbolic meaning converged, leaving a lasting legacy as one of India’s most innovative and reflective contemporary artists. ...

Vadehra Art Gallery
Gallery
Vadehra Art Gallery
New Delhi

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. ...