Exhibition to explore intersection of art, conservation, and ecology

New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) A new exhibition by artist Virenpratap Singh Bhaika will explore the intersectionality of art and conservation through 15 paintings, a 30-minute film titled "Roar and Resillience", and a panel discussion on human-animal conflict and peaceful coexistence.

Curated by art historian Alka Pande, "Tyger Tyger Burning Bright" will open on Saturday at India Habitat Centre's Open Palm Court Gallery.

A fine art scholar at Harrow School, UK, Bhaika’s practice has been shaped by experiences in India’s national parks, conservation initiatives in Namibia and Tadoba, and encounters with the Gond communities of central India. His works weave together painting, collage, and mixed media, combining precision with experimentation to reflect on the fragile balance between human expansion and natural survival.

“I’ve always been drawn to the wildlife of India’s jungles. At first, I aimed for accuracy, drawing tigers and elephants over and over. Now, when I depict the same wildlife, I focus on the fragile, and often broken, balance between urban expansion and natural conservation. Lately, I’ve turned to collage to evoke this fragmentation — bringing together radically different figures, like a tiger and an excavator," the artist said.

Bhaika's interest in human-animal conflict developed after working on conflict mitigation initiatives in Namibia and Tadoba as well as through encounters with Gond communities, whose art is traditionally centred around nature and culture.

The exhibition features collages inspired by a documentary on tiger conservation, abstract acrylic collages that capture the vibrancy and exuberance of the Indian jungle, three works by Gond artist Japani Shyam, and works combining influences from Italian classical art and American modernism, reinterpreted through collage to reflect on ecology, history, and culture.

“Contrasts and connections define Virenpratap’s work—the tiger and the excavator, the village and the forest, myth and modernity. His art is not just about wildlife, but about the ways we negotiate our shared existence on this fragile planet," Pande said in a statement.

The exhibition will come to a close on September 18. PTI MAH MAH