Exhibitions

Outside In: Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel

Outside In brings together the works of Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel for the first time ever. Both artists explored new forms and narratives through metal casting, while changing the worlds they belonged to – they were outsiders, looking in. The exhibition also features one piece of textile by Meera on public display for the first time, along with others created together with the women and children whom she interacted with.

Exploring how the terms ‘artist’ and ‘artisan’ are defined, the exhibition looks at an interaction between a modern artist and Ghadwa sculptor, laying the foundations for new possibilities. Meera Mukherjee, a sculptor and a painter from Calcutta, undertook governmental research to understand the various techniques of metal casting in India. Her visits and meeting with Dhokra casters in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, where Jaidev Baghel lived, impacted both of them. While Meera’s practice influenced her into community-based practice, Jaidev found a path to break his traditional mould and establish himself as an artist.

Outside In: Meera Mukherjee and Jaidev Baghel is accompanied by a publication and a short film. Designed by Valentina Abenavoli, with photographs by Philippe Calia and Jaisingh Nageswaran, the publication serves as a visual narrative and a commentary on the journey of artworks – from casting workshops, to museum spaces. The film explores the origins of metal casting as a craft, how it adapted itself to changing times, and what became of Jaidev Baghel’s workshop and family.

The exhibition has been made possible with the support from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

Left: Mother and Child, Meera Mukherjee, c. 1990, Kolkata, India, Bronze, H. 47.5 x W. 36 x D. 36 cm, MAC.01107 | Right: Madin with Her Child, Jaidev Baghel, 2007, Chhattisgarh, India, Bronze, H. 46 x W. 25 x D. 34 cm, SCU.01555 | Photo Credit: Philippe Calia