In a world where art often embraces the synthetic, The Earth, My Home dares to turn back to nature. This immersive exhibition at Gallery Art Positive bridges human creativity with the untamed beauty of the Himalayan forest. Curated by Georgina Maddox, it features eco-conscious works crafted from stones, leaves, bark, and soil—an artistic dialogue with the earth that speaks of preservation, connection, and the urgent need to reimagine our bond with the natural world.
The show, which runs until January 16, is the culmination of the first-ever residential Natural Art Course at the Mountain-Wind Campus in Bhuira village, Himachal Pradesh. This transformative course, held in June 2024, brought together a diverse group of women artists from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Australia, all under the mentorship of Australian Wild Art artist Bettina Van Haeften (known as Bina). These artists explored eco-dyeing, Shibori techniques, and Wild Art, using only natural materials sourced from the surrounding Himalayan landscape. Stones, leaves, bark, and soil were transformed into stunning works of art, making this not just an exhibition but a journey into the heart of nature.
The journey of creation
Curator Georgina Maddox told Patriot that the exhibition is more than just a display of art—it is a reflection of a process that blends artistic expression with environmental consciousness. “Being a hands-on participant at Mountain Wind Rilung Art Foundation did give one a deeper understanding of the process and then the final ‘expression.’ The exhibition is curated to convey that experience, with scrolls, shibori on calico cloth,” she says.
The materials that formed these pieces were sourced with utmost respect for nature. Every element—from fallen leaves to soil—was collected without causing harm to the environment. As Maddox emphasises, “Everything else is sourced from the environment without harming nature—collecting naturally fallen leaves, bark, and soil sourced from the Himalayan region around the Himalayan Rilung Foundation Campus.”
The exhibition’s eco-conscious ethos is not only about materials but also about raising awareness. “The environment needs to be showcased, the devastation that unplanned development has wrought upon it, brought into focus and what better way to do that than with art that is made from the environment itself?” Maddox said.
A collaborative art journey
The artists who participated in the exhibition include Alka Mathur, Bina Van Haeften, Pooja Hada, Shalini Ghosh, Jasmeet Khurana, Sharmila Gupta, Nishi Jauhar, and Ritu-Ngapnon Varuni. Each brings a unique perspective to the exhibition, weaving personal stories and artistic traditions with the natural world.
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Pooja Hada, a former interior designer turned artist, shares her experience of creating with nature. “As I said before, I had never dived into this medium and it was so intriguing to use natural sticks and weeds as paintbrushes and actually pounding your own pigments was an experience I would never forget in this lifetime.” Hada’s vibrant and textured canvases reflect her growing relationship with nature, using local Indian motifs and embracing a blend of traditional and modern practices.
For Sharmila Gupta, whose work focuses on natural stone-crushed pigments, the exhibition was a return to her roots. “I have a deep connection to the world of natural stone-crushed pigments. My works tell a story of my poetic compositions and forms. The rich colour, texture, and consistency of these mediums are a world apart from any synthetic medium,” she says.
As an Australian artist with a deep connection to Wild Art practices, Bina Van Haeften’s involvement in the exhibition was both as a mentor and a creator. Known for her slow art practices and weaving, she brings a grounded sense of time and place to her work, fostering a profound bond between the artist and the environment. “In my practice of Wild Art, there is no rush. It is a slow and meditative practice where you make time for the earth and the stories it has to tell,” Bina said.
An art of sustainability
As climate change and environmental degradation continue to dominate global conversations, this exhibition offers a powerful narrative about sustainability and ecological awareness. Through art, the artists hope to inspire viewers to engage more deeply with the world around them. Pooja Hada captures this sentiment when she says, “It is a great eye-opener; it makes the viewers widen their perspective towards sustainability and makes them believe how stunning works can be created by going back to our roots of natural dyes and spices.”
In addition to its artistic significance, the exhibition also has a philanthropic component. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of artworks will be donated to the Himalayan Rilung Foundation to support its mission of experiential learning and the protection of the Himalayan environment. Maddox, who has a long-standing relationship with the Foundation, hopes that this exhibition will inspire continued collaboration and community-building. “I hope and intend to make this an annual practice with one workshop a year, followed by an exhibition,” she shares.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to connect with art that speaks to the soul of the earth. “The works speak a language which speaks nature in a very contemporary style and I feel it is exactly what an art lover and today’s-day-and-age buyer is seeking for,” said artist Jasmeet Khurana.
The exhibition is open for viewing at Gallery Art Positive, New Delhi, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, until January 16, 2025.
