Stillness meets fluidity at artist Trishla Jain's show
by artist
evoked free-flowing images in the eyes of beholders on the opening evening of '
' at
, Mumbai, on May 8.Coinciding with Art Night Thursday, the exhibition drew a mix of totebag-toting art lovers and umbrella-carrying architecture students. Some leaned in to interpret the meditative dots of Jain's Tantra works, while others stood back to take in the geometric precision of her
."We've
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
placed the two series on separate walls so they don't interfere with each other," explained Puneet Shah, founder and director of Akara Art, which had earlier showcased 'The Quiet Interlude' in Jain's hometown of Delhi. This is the gallery's second time hosting the San Francisco-based artist after a sold-out 2023 show. "Many, including myself, are drawn to the calmness and colours of the Tantra series," Shah noted.
"You can see the cityscape here," said lawyer and gallery regular Soumya Shanker, pointing to domes and a sun in a watercolour-and-ink canvas titled Sundance. Stepping back, she admired One, a geometric piece that reminded several viewers of a silk chatai. "It's incredible that she painted something that looks like handwoven fabric," she said.Former Alliance Française de Bombay cultural assistant Sheryn Mulla admired how "ink and watercolours go together," while aspiring architect Vaibhav Jaitly was drawn to Air, a Yantra canvas embedded with gold."Some are organised, some are organised chaos," observed UK-based student Shashi Kapur, who is visiting Mumbai. She was particularly drawn to Constellations, a blue-hued canvas in a quiet corner. "Blue is my favourite colour," she said, adding that the works inspired her to meditate.'The Quiet Interlude' Akara Contemporary ColabaTill May 30 (Tues- Sat)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Safed looks at the brighter side of white in Independence Day ad
Shantinath Detergents has released a new campaign film, "Safed," for Indian Independence Day. The campaign, which launched on August 12, 2025, centers on the color white and its historical significance in India. The film, a minute and 45 seconds long, is set in a family home where a young boy is preparing for his school's fancy dress competition. His parents initially suggest he dress as a modern-day hero. However, his grandfather intervenes, offering a white cloth and explaining its historical importance. The grandfather describes how the color white, or "Safed" in Hindi, has been a symbol of truth, peace, and unity throughout the country's history. He says the color was a central element in India's struggle for independence, but that its deeper meaning has been largely forgotten. In the film, the grandfather's monologue links the idea of a "pure heart" to the color white. The campaign concludes with the tagline, "Jab Dil Mein Ho Safed, To Saare Jahan Se Achha Desh," which translates to "When the heart is pure, the country is the best in the world." Ritum Jain, a director at Shantinath Detergents Private Limited, stated that the campaign aims to connect the brand with the values of purity and truth. Jain said, "We wanted to remind people that the true spirit of freedom lives in keeping our hearts as pure as the Safed we wear." The campaign's message links the brand's detergent, known for its cleaning properties, with a national sentiment of maintaining a clean conscience. Watch the film here on ETBrandEquity:
Mint
37 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Never going back': Indian woman calls Eiffel Tower lunch her most ‘expensive' and ‘worst' meal
A dream lunch at the Eiffel Tower turned into a nightmare for one Indian woman, and her brutally honest review has sparked a debate online. Ishwarya, who runs the YouTube travel page Make Travel Easy with her UK-based Tamil husband, Sakthivel, recently shared a video about her expensive yet underwhelming meal at Le Jules Verne, the two-Michelin-star restaurant perched on the second floor of the iconic Paris monument. What was meant to be a luxurious foodie experience instead left her saying: 'The most expensive lunch of my life… and the worst. I'm never coming here again.' In her video, Ishwarya didn't hold back. She described the bread served as so hard it was 'impossible to chew.' The cold starter earned just 2/10, the main dish scraped a 7/10, and the dessert, 'overloaded with cream', got a dismal 1/10. Interestingly, she wasn't the only one disappointed. A senior tourist from New Zealand at the next table also struggled with the bread. When Ishwarya requested an alternative, the waiter simply shrugged. This was the only bread available. In a rather amusing twist, Ishwarya later accompanied the lady to a supermarket to buy biscuits! The review sparked a heated debate online. While many Indians sided with Ishwarya, calling it an 'overpriced tourist trap,' others defended the restaurant, pointing out that French bread is traditionally crusty and meant to be eaten with soup or dips. They suggested this might have been a cultural and culinary mismatch. A user wrote, 'European breads are supposed to be all breads are are so many different types of breads.' Another user wrote, 'You don't go to such a fine restaurant if you're not used to the French cuisine.' 'It's supposed to dip and eat in soup so it's usually hard,' the third user shared. The fourth user commented, 'It is tourist trap do you think locals will go to have lunch at eifel tower?' 'Paris is simply overrated,' the fifth wrote. Le Jules Verne isn't just about the food; it's about the experience. Sitting 125 metres above Paris, it boasts sweeping views of the city, a menu of modern French delicacies, and a wine list featuring over 430 French vintages. Signature dishes include langoustine ravioli, roasted pigeon, and intricately plated desserts. But luxury comes at a price; lunch tasting menus start at about €190 (around ₹ 17,000) per person, while dinner can set you back €255 or more, wine excluded.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Why quality mental health support is still some ways away for the LGBTQIA+ community
In recent times, we've had movies like Kaathal – The Core (Malayalam) and Gulmohar (Hindi) that had prominent actors like Mammootty and Sharmila Tagore play gay and lesbian characters, respectively. The mental struggle these characters face has been portrayed adeptly too– Mathew's resistance to divorce his wife and Kusum's eagerness to let go of the home her husband built, in their own way showcase denial and defiance. In reality, however, the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face difficulties when it comes to address mental health issues. Based on conversations Lounge has had with members from the community, 'accessibility" and 'sensitisation" seem to be the main problems here. 'Queerness continues to be pathologized here even by mental health practitioners. The idea that it is something that needs to be 'cured' or 'treated' is still prevalent. Can you imagine how difficult it then becomes to even take those initial steps for help when you realise that these so-called 'safe' spaces themselves can be dehumanising?" wonders Srishti Pandey, 26, who identifies herself as asexual. 'Queer people, especially outside the major metros, face glaringly hostile environments and harmful, violent and illegal attempts to 'cure' queer people. There is little safety available in mental healthcare institutes, and often, it is quasi-religious places that offer anything close to care and they can be very hurtful places," says Bengaluru-based counsellor Mahesh Natarajan who identifies as gay. Pandey, who has tried therapy and found it helpful, shares that while her family and friends have been supportive, she has received biased reactions from others. Currently residing in England, she also reveals that life as an asexual has been relatively easier for her in the UK. 'Everyone faces challenges, it is just that the intensity with which members from the community face them is more, and the resources available for us are less," notes Aryan Somaiya, a Goa-based psychotherapist who identifies as a transman. As 34-year-old scientist Soham (last name withheld upon request) from Bengaluru points out, therapy can be expensive and out of reach for several people in the queer community. Listing out the issues the LGBTQ+ community faces while seeking therapy, he says, 'There are many people who prefer online consultations because going in person would mean taking time off work. Then there's the question of whether the therapist you are seeing has knowledge about the queer community, knows people who belong to the community, and is sensitised to the issues faced by queer people." But that's not all. In a society where being comfortable in your skin is still a struggle for many, those belonging to the queer community have it doubly hard. 'I know of quite a few people, myself included, who tend to, at times, lead double lives," says Edwin Daniel, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur who is gay. 'I have been lucky, because most of my colleagues and co-workers are comfortable with my identity. But, when there's a business meeting or I am meeting someone new for work-related purposes, I tend to do 'straight acting' or regulate the way I behave to meet heteronormative roles. But, for a lot of my counterparts, it is one kind of life from 10-7, and another life after 7pm," he adds. HAMPERED BY THE LACK OF A STABLE SOCIAL STRUCTURE According to Daniel, one of the main problems the LGBTQ+ community in India faces is the absence of a stable social structure. 'Since same-sex marriages aren't legal in India, unlike heterosexual people, we don't have milestones like getting married and having kids. This tends to take a huge toll on our mental health," he says. Soham concurs. 'Since these milestones are absent for us, the onus of creating a structure falls on us," he says. He also resonates with Daniel when he says that it is quite difficult, yet important, to find a therapist who is queer-sensitised and understands problems of the community. Finding that therapist, as Daniel notes, is not easy. 'One goes through numerous therapists, before landing on someone who understands you and suits your needs." After seeking therapy for five years, he reveals that he's only recently found a counsellor who 'understands me, what I am going through and helps me accordingly." Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Prasenjit Chaudhari, 41, knew he was gay right from childhood but chose to hide it in a bid to belong, fit in. 'This attempt to hide your identity takes a toll on your mental health and the scars remain for a long time," he confesses. This is precisely why finding the right therapist becomes crucial, he says, but in a city where the community is small that can pose a problem. 'I came to Bengaluru in 2007 and have literally watched the community grow. I know nearly everyone in the community, and so, even if I do find a therapist who is queer, I know them on a personal level and that is something I try to avoid." As a therapist, Natarajan says that he chooses to not counsel members from the community who are closely connected to his personal life. But for those who are strictly his clients, he says, 'We protect the client's privacy and confidentiality as fully as possible. It helps for the client to know that we are part of the community and not too distant from their realities." According to Natarajan, a typical green flag when seeking a therapist from within the community is to check if they are well regarded for their general ethical practice. It's a big no-no if they have in any way breached client confidentiality or canvassed for influence. A good way to verify a therapist's ability is to reach out to (other members from the community) who have previously sought help from the said therapist, Natarajan advises. The conversations do get louder every year during Pride Month in June but they barely scratch the surface. Issues like chem sex that can prove fatal to queer members are not explored in depth. 'While chem sex is common for everyone, it is a deeper issue for the queer community. It is not just loneliness that makes it a problem. Lack of safe resources, worries of being outed, health concerns, abandonment by family and other issues are all part of the problem," Natarajan says. There's a lot of distance to be covered for sure, but every individual Lounge spoke to clings to glimmers of hope. 'The main thing that affects mental health for the LGBTQ community is social stigma and the feeling of being 'othered'. With greater integration and community building, people will flourish," Natarajan says. 'Broadly speaking, I want therapy to be easily accessible and destigmatized. And most importantly, I want (more) resources for patients and counsellors who are catering to LGBTQ folks because our struggles are widely different," says Daniel. Sumitra Nair is an independent journalist based in Kochi.
