10 October,2026 09:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram Iyengar
Avantika Khanna Pocha, Pravina Mecklai and Ayaz Memon at the Colaba gallery
Stories are a part of every artist's journey, and Pravina Mecklai thrives in it. The gallerist is still buzzing after the opening day of The Aura In Everything as she responds to our phone call. The feeling is a familiar one since she first opened doors in January 1999.
It was in the same year that Avantika Khanna Pocha also returned to art after a short break in her practice. She recalls, "It started in school, and I showed at the Lalit Kala Kendra. But I stopped for a while, and restarted with an exhibition in 1999," she reveals.
The Aura in Everything captures this journey through its emotions. "I live between the mountains of Shimla, in Goa near the river, and in Mumbai. This is my depiction of the different worlds," Khanna Pocha explains.
The series of 32 works can be categorised into pre- and post-pandemic sections, clearly demarcated by a shift in form. "It was during the pandemic that I began turning to colour," she admits.
The result is a conversation between the internal and external emotions. While the hypnotic geometric patterns in black ink capture the complexities of the mind, her nature works explode with life, movement, and colour. It may feel surreal, but the artist adds, "Nature is not always colour- coordinated, but it is diverse."
For Mecklai, her love for art traces back to the early years. "I first began visiting art galleries with my dad [the late Jhamat Jagtiani] at the age of six, and bought my first art work at the age of 16," she shares with a touch of pride.
The gallerist recalls being the outlier as she would walk into galleries as a teenager. "On the other hand, the late Kali Pundole was so excited to have a teenager come into the gallery. He showed me the way. In fact, he let me pay for my first art work in instalments of my pocket money," she recalls.
Now, she pays that forward by keeping the doors open to curious youngsters, and offering that same instalment option to new and young art buyers who walk in. "To me, when children walk in with questions, it is delightful. I often let the artists address that curiosity. Also, to help and guide first-time buyers through their nervousness is quite wonderful," she admits.
It is no surprise then that she thrills in Khanna Pocha's creations. "They are completely about the mind, about what you are going through, perceive, and experience.
Art does not just speak to you, it speaks about you," the gallerist remarks.
TILL October 14; 11 am to 7 pm
AT Jamaat Art Gallery, National House, Tulloch Road, Apollo Bunder, Colaba.
ENTRY Free
