Experts curate unmissable shows at the Mumbai Gallery Weekend

While virtual exhibitions reigned last year the feeling of stepping into a gallery and facing a canvas is unmatched Itrsquos an experience the Mumbai Gallery Weekend MGW is set to offer starting tomorrow With a slew of showcases herersquos what four art professionals suggest you check outNaval Jijina Cyrus The Great 1968Of souls and storiesAditi Singh UntitledIndependent arts consultant and curator Rashmi Dhanwanirsquos top pick for MGW is Shilo Shiv Sulemanrsquos solo exhibition titled Reincarnate We Meet Here in the Afterlife at Art Musings where the contemporary artist delves into magical realism technology and social justice ldquoIrsquom also finally hoping to catch Chirodeep Chaudharirsquos Seeing Time Public Clocks of Bombay at Project 88 and because I work with a lot of midtown galleries Irsquom looking forward to visiting Tao Art amp Soul and Priyasri Art Gallery at Kathiwada City House which is a new venue in the city and will host young artists Another gallery I keep going to simply because of the plethora of work that they show from South India is Galerie Mirchandani Steinrueckerdquo she addsLubna Chowdhary Sign 2 2020A delicate canvasThis year every art space has something different to offer reckons art advisor Farah Siddiqui But itrsquos Aditi Singhrsquos show Somethings are Always Burning at Chemould Prescott Road that shersquos looking forward to the most ldquoItrsquos her solo after a decade Irsquom a big fan of her works and have acquired them for collectors They are extremely sensitive mdash which is rare to find among contemporary artists today mdash and thoughtprovokingrdquo she says In addition Siddiqui also recommends checking Tyler Street Art A Solo Exhibition across Methodrsquos Kala Ghoda and Bandra venues ldquoTo actually see works in their physical form is a real welcome changerdquo she statesNaval JijinaNew additionArtist Brinda Miller canrsquot contain her excitement to visit architect Rooshad Shroffrsquos new gallerycumoffice in Horniman Circle mdash a fine addition to MGW with a display of intricately designed objects and furniture Miller also asserts that both TAO Art Gallery and TARQ are special to her and Rithika Merchantrsquos show Birth of a New World at TARQ is worth checking out ldquoI have been following Merchantrsquos work right from when she completed her education in art Irsquove always loved itrdquo she saysRashmi Dhanwani Farah Siddiqui Brinda Miller and Eve Lemesle PicFabien CharuauUnity in diversityJhaveri Contemporary is opening doors in 2021 with a fresh start by hosting UKbased artist Lubna Chowdharyrsquos debut solo in India Itrsquos a show featuring new paintings collages and ceramics that arts manager Eve Lemesle is eagerly awaiting Another pick is This Boat with a Broken Rim curated by Phalguni Guliani presented by Mumbai Art Room at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery and supported by the Inlaks India Foundation ldquoThe show brings together artists from across international geographies diverse mediums and varying stages of practice mdash each of whom addresses the fragmented realities of border regimes and arbitrary assemblages as experienced by both body and object as it passes through time The artists are Hesselholdt amp Mejlvang Sudipta Das Salik Ansari and Chinar Shahrdquo she sharesOn January 14 to 17 12 pm to 8 pmLog on to mumbaigalleryweekendcomStrokes of a lifetimeEvery now and then there are hidden gems waiting to be discovered At MGW this year Naval Jijinarsquos retrospective The Music Modern curated by Dr Tarana Khubchandani at Art amp Soul sure counts as one of them Jijina 91 a reclusive Parsi abstractionist based in Andheri has a legacy intertwined with a Bombay art world many today are unacquainted with Jijina grew up as an orphan and was trained to be a Parsi priest but in 1956 joined the Sir JJ School of Art He delved into textile design and Indian classical music and thus came to know VS Gaitonde ldquoColours pass before my eyes and inspire me to paint When I paint the tape recorder is always on with Indian classical musicrdquo he shares What does he feel about this retrospective It makes him go down memory lane reflecting on a ldquolife of hardships coupled with a joy of surmounting oddsrdquo