Through art, The Elemental You explores the fragile balance between nature, time and human existence, says SAKSHI PRIYA
Through thoughtful curation,The Elemental You inspires a deeper connection to nature and ourselves
The Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth." These words stayed with me as I stepped into The Elemental You at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, curated with deep sensitivity by Akansha Rastogi. The exhibition vibrates with the ancient rhythms of time and place. Within the quiet space, artists Simryn Gill, Neha Choksi and Hajra Waheed tell stories of geology, memory and existence, creating an experience that feels like stepping into the heart of the Earth itself.
The exhibition unfolds as a conversation, one where stones, plants, skies and even the void speak to us. The works blur boundaries, blending the personal with the planetary, offering a chance to pause, reflect and listen to the voices of the natural world.
At the core of the exhibition lies the idea of interconnectedness. Simryn Gill’s work invites you into the industrial landscape of Port Dickson, Malaysia, a place she has documented for decades. Her photographs and installations are not just records but reflections on how human actions shape the land we inhabit. Gill’s materials, fragments of everyday life, are transformed into powerful reminders of how deeply our histories are tied to the Earth.
Neha Choksi’s Porous Earth series draws you in with the tactile beauty of limestone. Her kiln-cast glass sculptures, infused with limestone dust, feel like remnants of an age-old story. These are not still works but living dialogues between time and material, urging us to consider the fleeting nature of life and the lasting strength of matter. In Contrast,
Hajra Waheed takes us beyond the land, to the sky. Her explorations of the night sky and Kashmiri horizons are poetic and moving. Waheed’s works highlight the delicate balance between what stays the same and what changes, asking us to notice the fleeting beauty of things often overlooked.
Walking through the exhibition, you become part of an unfolding story. The layers of thought, shown through themes like “to think like a mountain,” “survival as revival,” and “clearing,” are contemplative ideas. These works are not just visual. They are philosophical questions, urging us to rethink time, space, and our own existence. As I left, I found myself returning to Choksi’s sculptures one last time. They seemed to affirm a simple truth, that in the imperfection of the Earth lies its true beauty. And in understanding this, perhaps, we come closer to understanding ourselves.
The Elemental You stands out for its quiet urgency. There are no dramatic statements or large-scale installations demanding attention. Instead, the exhibition speaks softly, inviting you to slow down, to pay attention to the things that are easy to overlook. The experience is as much about looking within as it is about looking at the world around us.
Each piece, whether a fragment of stone, a sketch of the sky or a sculptural form, reminds us of our shared fragility and strength
