A gallery unlike any: Newly launched Padm showcases the beauty of sculptural art

Padm, India’s first curated platform for sculptures, held its inaugural exhibition in Delhi. The exhibition’s theme was inspired by the Silk Road, a historical trade route that connected India to the world. Pic/Padm

Sakshi Ruia is no stranger to sculptures; in fact, she grew up among them - having witnessed her father Rajesh Bhandari at work, at her family's four decade-old foundry and studio called Shilppam. It was a space where she had the opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of sculptors and artists. So, when Ruia traversed through India's art world, she couldn't help but notice a gap: There was no dedicated gallery or institution working only with sculptures.

"Outside India, the shift towards - and acceptance of - mixed media works came much sooner. In our country, handicrafts and antiques have always been appreciated. But when one spoke of art, it was mostly about paintings," she observes. The last few years have been witness to a shift, as artists experiment more keenly with materials and mediums and buyers open up to displaying textile and ceramic pieces in their homes and offices.

After she mulled over the idea for nearly three years, Ruia determined it was time to launch Padm - India's first curated platform for sculptural art. It's a place where Ruia, an alumna of London Business School, wants to break down conventional gallery norms and push the boundaries of the art form itself. The result, she hopes, is that art becomes more accessible and there is a wider scope for discovery among enthusiasts and buyers.

Padm's inaugural exhibition features the works of new, emerging artists who have experimented with material and technique

Much of her vision is embodied in Padm's inaugural exhibition, currently on display at New Delhi's Bikaner House as part of the India Art Fair's parallel programming. Its rich theme draws from the civilisations and cultural exchanges that once prospered along the Silk Road - a 6,400-km stretch that took India's spices, sandalwood and art to Europe and the Middle East. Titled Interwoven Histories: Art Traditions of the Silk Route, it is curated by sculptor and ceramist Falguni Bhatt.

The group show's material palette is as diverse as the 14 artists' individual styles, as they mould terracotta, marble, glass, sandstone and ceramic into trousseau chests, textured onion-like structures and prized horses. Notably, ceramic and stone were traded on the Silk Road, and it was the era's Chinese pottery that enabled the safe transport of expensive goods like spices.

"We're working with new, early career artists who are just out of art school, and who have done a couple of residencies. Their outlook is fresh and they use new techniques in established mediums, showing us novel ways of firing and glazing," Ruia says, letting us in on how Padm can nurture these emerging talents. The works displayed at Bikaner House were specially created for the exhibition, and are inspired by everyday images and objects. "This makes them familiar to the viewer, as opposed to abstract art, while still eliciting a sense of awe, as art should," the 29-year-old adds.

Padm founder Sakshi Ruia says the platform will travel to cities like Mumbai with its future exhibitions. Pics/Nishad Alam

For future exhibitions, Padm will be travelling to other cities, making it a geographically dynamic presence. Ruia is particularly excited about Mumbai, since it is home to the Sir JJ School of Art, as well as her own childhood memories of roaming about the art district in Fort and Colaba.

It's been a busy few months in the Indian sculpture world - December saw the unveiling of an expansive exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, which juxtaposes ancient Indian works with those from Egypt, Rome and Greece. On the heels of this multi-stakeholder exhibition came the much-awaited second edition of the Indian Ceramics Triennale.

Padm's arrival on the scene as an ‘anti-2D' platform comes at a time when the former hegemony of paintings is dying out; the booths at events like the 2024 India Art Fair have wholeheartedly embrace mixed media. That it lies at the intersection of art and design is among sculpture's biggest advantages, as creators and artists can imbue it with a touch of functionality, as ceramists have done in the past. "It could take the form of a lamp or chair, garnering interest from lay individuals who may not necessarily be buyers," says Ruia.

But what will it take for the art form to be sought more by regular patrons, or new buyers who want to begin building their collection? "I think social media has a very big role to play in creating awareness. At Padm, we want to bring in more staging in the visuals, to move away from the singularity that art is usually presented with. It's an aesthetic that will strengthen the understanding that art can be part of your home, or even a small space."