Uma Nair

New Delhi

Curator and Critic at Freelance

Architectural Digest India , The Hindu ,Pioneer Daily ,Economic Times Asian Age TOI Author art critic , curator waiting in the dark -gospel singer by day..

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Articles

Laila Khan enchants Mumbai with untamed heart

1 week ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

At Snowball Studio in Mumbai it was a star studded night as gorgeous women of all ages walked in to congratulate Laila Khan Furniturewalla for her solo after an 18 year hiatus. Resplendent with moody moorings, gorgeous Ganeshas and a series of abstract renditions, here was a show that reflected her brilliance and her graceful gravitas through brilliant works that soaked us viewers in their silence.
Remembering Francis Newton Souza at 101 years

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Uma Nair

As Passion Week looms near beginning April 12, one recalls India’s enfant terrible Francis Newton Souza, one of artist Krishen Khanna’s greatest friends and founder of the Progressive Arts Group now known as India Moderns. Why does one remember Souza, and how does he connect to Holy Week? While he was critical of the Church, he was a lover of church music and hymns.
Akkitham Narayanan’s stellar abstracts storm LKA Chennai

2 weeks ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

Imagine an abstract modernist in Paris who went there as far back as 1967 on a French Scholarship from Cholamandalam, dabbled in printmaking studios and finally decided he would immerse himself in the world of geometry and symbolism. At Lalit Kala Akademi in Chennai, ‘A Thousand Universes’, pans out like an elegant elegy to his elder brother, the philosopher-poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, who was also Jnanpith Award Winner ( 2019).
Art Basel Hong Kong’s carnival of compositions

3 weeks ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

From Indian gallery TARQ, An Indian Wedding in May 1980 and a slew of International masters came together at Art Basel Hong Kong to unveil a carnival of compositions that opened Thursday and ran till yesterday. Hauser & Wirth with Louise BourgeoisHauser & Wirth ( Paris, Hong Kong, Monaco, Menorca, Gstaad, Saint Moritz, Zurich, London, Somerset, Los Angeles, New York) presented two iconic works by the legendary genius Louise Bourgeois.
Global treasures, a suite of woven histories

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

At the Bespoke Gallery at Ahmedabad founder and collector Devin Gawarvala’s collection of international artists is a tale of woven histories and overlapping stories.Four sculptors and six artists create a corollary of conversations about technique, treatment and the power of compositional clarity in works that stand testimony to time.
At DAG’S Benares, James Prinsep towers Indian history

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

Benares, the word conjures up esoteric evocations.We think of pages from the past cruising through the modern millennium and we gather exotic stories of British and Scottish gentlemen who fell in love with Indian locales and turned into historians and printmakers and artists extraordinaire. DAG’s Benares is one such medley of memories and montages that enchant us beyond our dreams. Benares also known as Kashi used to be on the lips of my grandmothers in Kerala.
Sotheby’s sterling Indian master sale in March

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art auction, holds a promise of provenance and rare finding archival works in a sale on March 17th 2025 in London.From abstract master Jagdish Swaminathan to Madhvi Parekh’s Flower Seller to F.N Souza’s Oriental City to Dhanraj Bhagat’s Siva Dance each work is a piece of art history in the making.
M Narayan’s Equus and other stories in Delhi

1 month ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

A vibrant universe of horse harmonies and a series of Kerala and Karnataka works defines the essence of M Narayan, a creative artist deeply involved in painting and drawings for 40 years. His is an engaging artistic journey following his love for horse polo imagery and rural rhythms. Celebrating the chromatics of hues with speed and strength , Narayan positions himself as both audience as well as creator.
Himmat Shah, a fearless modernist who was relentless in his pursuit of excellence

1 month ago | thehindu.com | Uma Nair

One of India’s foremost sculptors, Himmat Shah, passed away in Jaipur on Sunday. He was 91. A fearless modernist, Shah’s stylised heads in terracotta and bronze created ripples in the art world with their deepened sensitivity. In their abstraction, his heads would bring alive Saint Kabir’s philosophy of the human being as a humble vessel. Though the market took time to respond to his greatness, Shah didn’t let his devotion flag.
Rupa Bheda, by Neerja Peters is an enchanting debut

2 months ago | timesofindia.indiatimes.com | Uma Nair

At the Bikaner House last Thursday , art historian and Neemrana Hotels founder Aman Nath, Delhi’s famous heart bypass surgeon Dr Satish Mathew and Indian heritage photographer Manoj Arora came together to inaugurate abstractionist Neerja Peters solo debut Rupa Bheda (Secrets of Form), at Bikaner House.