The Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre came alive with colour, contemplation, and quiet emotional resonance as contemporary abstract artist Meena Yadav unveiled her much-anticipated solo exhibition, ASTITVA – The Essence of Being. The inauguration ceremony, marked by grace and symbolism, set the tone for an evening dedicated to introspection and artistic immersion.
The event opened with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Padmashri Vidushi Shovana Narayan, one of India’s most revered classical dancers, and Dr. Ranjana Kumari, distinguished author, academic, and social activist. Their presence underscored the exhibition’s underlying philosophy — a search for balance, harmony, and identity within an increasingly fragmented world. As the lamp glowed against the gallery’s soft ambience, it signalled not just the start of an exhibition but an invitation to journey inward through Yadav’s abstract realms.
A Dialogue Between the Natural and the Constructed
Reflecting on the essence of her showcase, Meena Yadav describes Astitva as a visual meditation on the relationship between nature and the man-made environments humans have come to inhabit.
“The essence of Astitva lies in the dialogue between nature and the spaces shaped by humans — a contrast that has always shaped my artistic journey,” she explains. “Through my paintings, I explore how these two forces coexist, collide, and sometimes blur. The works reflect both harmony and conflict, capturing humanity’s growing disconnection from nature alongside a deep longing to return to its purity and stillness.”
This tension — delicate yet ever-present — forms the emotional core of the exhibition. Yadav’s layered abstractions draw inspiration from landscapes, textures, elemental movements, and the rigid geometry of urban structures. Through sweeping strokes, muted palettes, and nuanced contrasts, she captures intersections where the natural world meets human-made order. These visual conversations, sometimes subtle and sometimes stark, highlight how modern life continues to reshape our sense of belonging.
Art as a Space for Grounding
Yadav emphasizes that the series draws from environments humans occupy daily — spaces where elemental presence and urban form constantly influence one another. Her work seeks to remind viewers that beneath the turbulence of rapid development and shifting cityscapes, the search for grounding remains a universal instinct.
“Astitva invites viewers to pause and return to the essence of their own being,” Yadav says. “It opens a quiet, reflective space — one that softens the noise of modern life and brings us back to what feels real and elemental. Through its layered abstractions, the series aims to stir recognition rather than explanation.”
The intention is not to dictate meaning but to evoke memory, familiarity, and emotional resonance — nudging viewers toward moments of stillness in a world that rarely slows down.
A Gathering of Artistic Minds
The preview evening welcomed an eclectic mix of art patrons, cultural enthusiasts, and renowned figures from the creative fraternity. Esteemed artists and guests including Asit Patnaik, Manoj Arora, Sheela Chamaria, Anandmoy Banerjee, Anuj Lalwani, Rochika Aggarwal, and Alka Bhustandi were among those who attended the opening.
Their presence added to the celebratory yet contemplative atmosphere of the evening, as conversations flowed around inspiration, technique, and the emotional depth embedded within Yadav’s works.
