A French-German artist blends Indian miniature art and elements of Renaissance to create his own interpretation
In 2014, when French-German artist Edouard Baribeaud, chanced upon Indian miniature paintings during a research trip to Rajasthan, it felt serendipitous. “I was impressed with the graphic and colourful paintings of Rajasthan; and the delicate and pastel tone scenes from the Kangra region. I just had to translate it to canvas,” says the 32-year-old.
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What piqued Baribeaud’s interest further were the visual parallels between Indian miniatures and early Italian Renaissance paintings. “It was especially evident in the way Italian painters represented vegetation and rocks in gardens and nature,” he says.
Artist Edouard Baribeaud
Blending two seemingly disparate cultures, Baribeaud has come up with his first solo exhibition in India, titled The Nocturnal Vault, which is a conflation of the Indian miniature style, Western art historical subjects and contemporary everyday life elements. “The Nocturnal Vault explores the theme of the night. I imagined it as a journey from dusk to dawn, where mundane and modern everyday life elements contrast with mythical elements. I wanted to create a dialogue between Indian and Western myths and stories on an imaginary stage,” says Baribeaud. The dual elements are evident in his painting, Hold Onto Me, where you observe a woman’s back against a puzzling visual scene of intense patterns and shapes. While the depiction of the female figure is reminiscent of the well-known motif, the Grande Odalisque, by French orientalist Jean August Dominique Ingre, a closer look at the scenery shows textile patterning that is reminiscent of Mughal décor. “I want to underline the similarities and create a dialogue to show that at the end, art is a universal form of expression,” he says.
But looks like Baribeaud hasn’t got enough of India. “I plan to travel to Rajasthan for a month. After that, I will return to Berlin with my head full of images and start a new series of work,” he smiles.
Where: Galerie Isa, Great Western Building, Fort
When: Ongoing, 11 AM - 6 PM
Call: 66373432
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