Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier
Rain on his Parade
Subroto Roy struggles to negotiate the rain as he arrives for the launch of a jewellery venture. Pic/Suresh Karkera
ADVERTISEMENT
Bold moves by a young artist
Last week, we saw the opening of textile artist Sarah Naqvi's exhibition at Clark House Initiative. Naqvi graduated from the National Institute of Design (NID) and has previously shown at Parasite Hong Kong and Conflictorium, Ahmedabad. The 21-year-old artist, who has a wide following for her politically engaging works and is exceptionally talented, made her gallery debut with Bashaoor, her take on communal conflict and the use of religious polarisation for political ends. The exhibition has the Naqvi stamp on it, both bold and delicate at the same time, and we believe it has been stirring heads at the gallery. The works have been supported by Sanket Avlani, the young creative entrepreneur, in a bid to support Naqvi as she preps for her upcoming solo next year. We wish her all the best and eagerly look forward to it.
Ed Sheeran, unplugged
It's expected later this year, in November, but already fans of the boy-next-door-meets-hit-balladeer, Ed Sheeran, are following him on his pre-release book tour across the UK, we hear. Well, the boy from Suffolk who made his first album as a 15-year-old in his own bedroom is ready with a book on his life and heady musical highs. Penned by Sunday Times' bestselling author, Sean Smith, the title (HarperCollins) chronicles his journey from the sleepy town to superstardom. Sheeran had left high school before completing his A-levels and had moved to London where he attended college twice a week. But his heart and soul was in music. The teenage talent played at countless bars and nightclubs, and had to face innumerable hardships until he was spotted by Elton John's management company that went on to change his life forever. It's the stuff of urban music legend. We love the shape of this, already.
Saatchi's India
Kala Ghoda auction house Astaguru's upcoming Southeast Asian Contemporary art auction, which will take place on June 24 and 25, is set to include works from the Charles Saatchi Indian Contemporary art collection. Saatchi, the advertising mogul and gallerist, is an ardent supporter of Indian contemporaries.
Charles Saatchi. Pic/getty images
He had curated one of the most important exhibitions for Indian art in 2008, called The Empire Strikes Back. Nine works in Astaguru's upcoming auction were exhibited in that show. The auction includes Chitra Ganesh, Jitish Kallat and Subodh Gupta (artwork in pic).
Love without a clause
The LaLit Suri Hospitality Group with Keshav Suri at its helm has been working for LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. This Pride Month, to boost their #PureLove campaign, they have worked with a leading insurance provider to draft a policy that covers same sex couples and those from the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, children born through surrogacy and single parents. Let the rainbow flag fly high.
Arty weekend
The good folks at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya have ensured that indoor time in the rains isn't wasted on your smartphone. Last Saturday, CSMVS' education consultant Brinda Miller roped in fellow artist Vinod Sharma to conduct a landscape painting workshop, and despite the grey clouds, it was a full house. Good to see Mumbaikars take some creative time out.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates