The many manifestations of sculpture at The Forces of Imagination exhibition in Delhi

Discover transformative sculptures by a group of diverse artists from Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai at The Forces of Imagination exhibition, showcasing 100 artworks at India Habitat Centre.

At the Visual Art Gallery leading up to the Central Atrium at the India Habitat Centre, you will find yourself immersed in a world of sculptural brilliance. For the first time in many years in Delhi’s art circuit, a diverse group of sculptors from Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai have come together with their transformative artworks that define the evolution of sculptors in India.

It is interesting to see how every artist, while exploring the intersection of tradition and modernity, occupies a different vision of what sculpture can be. The energy and variety of the 14 sculptors is evident in each piece as the exhibition, The Forces of Imagination, takes viewers on a journey of emotions, creativity and processes of the artists.

This is a rare show with 100 sculptures on display, put together by the Delhi Art Society (DAS), Calcutta Sculptors and the Chawla Art Gallery.

“The comprehensive, thought-provoking and innovative art pieces in eclectic mediums such as marble, bronze and stainless steel reflect the growing mastery of our sculptors. Their works are open to interpretation and are not mere representation; they stir the mind, body and the soul,” says Neeraj Gupta, the DAS founder and a master in makrana marble himself.

His new body of work at the show evokes surreal imageries, structured around the interactivity of disparate parts in tight sonorous arrangements. They project disunities and interpersonal separations, a sense of invasive and turbulent past, stemming from their environment, he says. Symptomatic of present times, Gupta animates them with varied layers of slips and glazes.

Tapas Sarkar’s work in bronze with numerous folk imagery attains spiritual grandeur. In the deepy carved style, there is an elaboration of the narrative as seen in On The Bench and Way to the Dancing Ground. Sarkar, founder of the Bengal sculptor’s group, says the narration is kind of an embellishment he uses as a metaphor in a scarred world.

Vibhor Sogani’s installations in steel transcend boundaries imposed by geographies and cultural desire. A Slice of Sky takes the form of floating lotus petals with the soft metal curving gently to create a space where mirror finish droplets evoke a sense of serenity and wonder. The light installation, Magical Bloom is made of countless polished stainless steel orbs drawn into the shape of a flower mimicking the beauty provided in abundance by Nature. Intimate and penetrating, the reflective orbs interact with the environment mirroring the sky above and movements in the surrounding. Each orb reflects a world of its own