The very title of the exhibition “Crystal Cities” is a giveaway but artist Jagannath Panda still manages to swing a surprise at his solo at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi. Though there are the multi-storied structures and references to delicate relationships that one conjures through its title, Panda’s exhibits are more deep-rooted, based on his own experiences and observations. So the very first work that one encounters is Wonderland, a maze of gigantic buildings with the numerous elements that often dot urban spaces — from a chimney belching clouds of smoke to a lone ship and the crows as onlookers. The Gurgaon-based artist compares the composition to his experience of setting up a home in Delhi in the mid-90s.
7 September 2017
