NS Harsha was born in 1969. He lives and works in Mysore, India. Represented in London by Victoria Miro Gallery, he is famed for his ability to paint with the greatest preciseness the portrait of numerous human beings. His art has been shown in numerous prestigious venues, such as Indian Highway at the Serpentine Gallery and the Astrup Fearnley in Oslo, and the 26th Sao Paulo Biennale. After a solo show at Maison Hermès in Tokyo in 2008, he has been invited to design a scarf for the French brand.
1.How would you connect fashion to elegance?
Can I say elegance 'inspires' fashion? Elegance celebrates timelessness while in contrast fashion celebrates a particular moment of human history. Elegance creates union between material and body, while fashion makes ‘materials’ work around the body.
2. What is the role of history and art history in your conception of fashion?
A dialogue is always on. Here in India we have a very strong relationship between history and clothing. For example, Gandhi’s Khadi movement still has a significant role to play when it comes to contemporary fashion. People try to dodge it or to accommodate it but they are still having a dialogue with the movement either way. The more fashion aims to invent, the more it needs to be informed about the past I guess? So, for me, Fashion and history move hand in hand...
