Artist and co-founder of Artychoke (an eco-conscious lifestyle brand offering furniture, home décor and accessories), Pragya Jain presents her fifth solo art exhibition, Tranquil Balance. This show is poised as an ode of gratitude to what keeps us alive and balanced: air, water, nourishment, love and the tender miracle of a new leaf unfolding. “I worked on this for over a year. It brings together hand-embroidered works and acrylic paintings. What is new for me is that, instead of presenting only paintings as I usually do, I have introduced tapestries and paper art, adding greater dimensionality,” she begins.
The exhibition comprises three collections. The first is the Heritage collection, a contemporary interpretation of traditional pichwai folk art. “It reflects how I view pichwai today, particularly my personal reading of the Nandi and the sacred cows and bulls of India. Most of the works in this series are embroidered, though it also includes paper works and paintings,” she shares.
The second is the Protagonist series, which was recently exhibited at World Art Dubai this April. “This series focuses on the idea that each of us is the protagonist of our own story. Rendered through animals, it also carries a humane message about how humans have encroached upon animal habitats and how these creatures deserve the space, peace and agency to live their own lives,” she reveals.
Animals have inhabited the works of this artist since the very beginning of her journey. In this series, they pose as the true protagonists: sovereign leaders of their own realms, every detail shaped around their resilience and quiet dominance, while nature itself bends to honour their existence. “Tigers and horses, my long-standing favourites, dominate the series, alongside cheetahs and strong geometric patterns that connect all my bodies of work. Geometry has always been central to my visual language — pixels, fragments, lines and irregular shapes,” she elucidates.
The final collection, Existence, is the closest to Pragya’s heart and we find out why: “It is an ode to my childhood and to sisterhood. I grew up in a large household with fifteen cousins and that shared upbringing was deeply nurturing.” This series uses silhouettes of faces — not portraits of specific individuals, but interpretations of the women who shaped her and helped form her identity. The series can be read as a reflection on womanhood and collective belonging.
“I have also incorporated butterflies as recurring elements, symbolising togetherness, joy and the sense of being cocooned in mutual love and protection. That, in essence, brings the exhibition together, ” she tells us.
“My art is calm, yet busy,” she says when we ask her why she chooses to make her work large-scale. “Most of the works are large-scale, four to six feet, though a few are smaller. I enjoy working on a larger canvas because it allows me to integrate layers of detail and complexity. The Protagonist series comprises ten works, the Heritage series eleven and the final collection includes five more intimate, conversational pieces that require viewers to step closer and discover details — French knots, metal-coloured beads and subtle elements that often reveal themselves only on closer inspection,” she smiles.
Three collections, all boasting a vivid range of hues. But there wasn’t a theme and we needed to know why, “I think of my art much like fashion. Just as the way I dress changes with my mood — Indian one day and something entirely different another — I apply the same thinking to my work. Each piece carries its own character, shaped by its colours and textures. One may be driven by blues and greens, another by pinks and yellows and another by greys, blues and golds. I don’t impose restrictions on colour; I let the mood of each piece guide it,” she says.
Those walking into the show will be met with a surprise. “At the centre of the space, I have draped one hundred metres of my own fabric in a creamy white. It creates the sensation of floating through the exhibition. The intention was to evoke a feeling of tranquil movement and balance as one moves through the works, which is why the exhibition is titled Tranquil Balance,” she signs off.
On till January 4. At Sublime Galleria, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road.
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