This issue we probe the work/visual language of various artists through interviews and observations. We present an interview by Rajesh Punj, he had a candid talk with Dayanita Singh prior to her show ‘Go Away Closer’ based on photography in 2013. Uma Nair delineates the work of Shampa Sircar Das in her new show Devi. Visuals inspired by the five elements of nature and iconography from Indian mythology.

Dr Ashrafi Bhagat takes a close look at the alluring work of Sumakshi Singh emphasising fragility of time and its passage. Palak Dubey reviews Traversing Inhabitants, an exhibition of works by Fawad Tamkanat and Nipun Kumar. Sen Shombit looks back at his journey from Kolkata to Paris and how he overcame several altercations to finally find his place as an artist.

A residency with four artists recently concluded in Kochi based on the theme ‘Material Culture’. There were discussions, exchanges and contemplation on the matter of the concept and inspired works emerged in response to the process, Tanya Abraham talks to the Kashi Art Residency participants to evaluate their take on the subject.

The conservation of ancient art and architecture is imperative for posterity, especially in a country so rich in cultural history and diversity. They are our windows to the past. The Church of Santa Monica, a 450 year old chapel has been restored to its preceding glory with extensive conservation work, baby steps towards heritage preservation…. Lina Vincent Sunish takes a close look.

Hope you like the issue. Do send us your feedback at artanddeal@ gmail.com. Happy Reading!

Siddhartha Tagore