72/ 100 Pigeon Dogs
Art and Dinner
Each evening in Jodhpur the harsh daytime light had transitioned into the much softer and warmer light that makes winter photography in India so appealing to me. Each afternoon we would head back to our apartment, have a nap and a snack and head out again about 5pm when conditions were perfect.
One particular day, after we had finally run out of daylight altogether, we found ourselves outside a curious looking gallery close to the Toorji Ka Jhalra Bavdi stepwell. Generally speaking we hadn’t really found northern India to be a place full of interesting modern art – they seem very content with their own style of traditional folk art in most places – and yet here was an art exhibition that promised something a little different.
’S U R F A C E >> An exhibition of Indian embroideries and surface embellishment as art ‘ was genuinely one of the very best exhibitions we have seen anywhere. In stark contrast to the repetitive Indian religious and historical images that adorn just about every surface, and almost seem to be the only art allowed, here were three gallery spaces full of incredibly intricate and clever works of modern art, most using traditional Indian methods of production, such as tapestry. You can read all about it here: https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-the-many-threads-woven-through-surface-in-jodhpur
‘Rangbhoomi’ Rabari embroidery from Kutch, tiny patches of cross-stitch Jat embroidery, and Sujni embroidery from Bihar. Morii Design.
A few hours later, once it became impossible to ignore our empty stomachs, we dragged ourselves out of the last of the three galleries and back onto the dark and cluttered streets of Jodhpur. Outside we got chatting to one of the gallery assistants who was taking a break. Eager to practice his English speaking he was more than happy to answer my usual barrage of questions about life in India and, more specifically, his hometown of Jodhpur.
I was quite interested to know whether many local people had been into the exhibitions and, apparently, lots of them had ventured in. Some of the artworks were quite challenging (even for us) and the exhibition organisers weren’t quite sure how it would go down but, we were told, the locals had shown a genuine interest in the pieces and had been fascinated by their beauty. It seemed as though the exhibition had been a great success.
Keen to tap into the local knowledge a wee bit more I asked the chap outside where he would recommend we go for dinner that night. There is often a problem in India that, when you ask for a recommendation, they always suggest places for tourists because that’s where they think we will be happiest. I was determined to find something more authentic and this helpful soul told us about Vijay’s restaurant, which I shall talk more about in my next story.
