Three Moderns
Three Moderns presents a distinguished exploration of Indian sculpture through the creative mastery of Krishen Khanna, Himmat Shah, and Thota Vaikuntam, guided by the curatorial vision of Uma Nair. This publication artfully weaves together the artistic journeys of three modernists whose works traverse the boundaries of material, memory, and the human form.
Krishen Khanna, revered as the last of the Progressives, offers captivating sculptural interpretations of his iconic Bandwallas. Drawing from lived encounters and observational depth, these works pay homage to the overlooked musicians who animate street processions and celebrations. Khanna’s ability to dignify daily rituals through profound artistic sensitivity anchors his place within India’s modernist legacy.
Himmat Shah’s sculptures, executed in Emperador and white marble, distill the complex interiority of the human condition into pared-down, enigmatic forms. His distinctive vision, shaped by decades of artistic engagement and rooted in the Indian sculptural tradition, imbues ordinary figures with a potent sense of wonder and mystery. Characteristic heads and his Lotus sculpture evoke both archaeological resonance and contemporary vigor.
Thota Vaikuntam cultivates the spirit of Telangana through his Sacred Gaze series, rendering Dravidian heads and feminine forms in patinated bronze and painted resin. His works embody the archetypes and rituals of rural India, capturing the vitality and poise of everyday life with meticulous attention to both cultural specificity and universal humanity.
At its heart, Three Moderns is a sophisticated confluence of vision and material, enfolding the lived idioms of India’s social fabric into a distinct artistic language. Through marble, bronze, and resinated forms, the book celebrates the ordinary as extraordinary, inviting the reader to encounter the beauty and symbolism of modern Indian sculpture in its most refined expression.
Discover more artworks of Krishen Khanna at his official website: www.krishenkhanna.in
Discover more artworks of Thota Vaikuntam at his official website: www.thotavaikuntam.in