The Humayun’s Tomb-Nizamuddin area is inhabited by a vibrant local community being visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims each year. Conservation works being undertaken on the monuments in this area have aimed to re-define standard conservation practice in India by setting benchmarks in using a craft-based approach, setting documentation standards, using a participatory and multi-disciplinary approach, and using the conservation initiative as a tool towards improving quality of life for local communities.

This book aims to inform the general public about the discipline of conservation and the rationale behind the successful conservation initiative and makes an argument for change in conservation approach in India: from isolated monuments to an urban approach that includes concern for the setting; from a ‘tender-based’ approach to a quality-concerned method; amongst other factors.

Published in association with Aga Khan Trust for Culture, New Delhi.

Contents:
Introduction; Conservation Policy; Preparing for Conservation; Conserving a World Heritage Site; Making Conservation Meaningful; Planning the Next Steps.

Lightning was created in 1975, during a very controversial period in India’s history, to be the backdrop of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Emergency speech. Given the short time frame that M.F. Husain had to complete the work, it was titled Lightning, because it came about in a flash. The masterpiece was made up of twelve massive panels with ten wild, white horses charging through an open space. The significance of the painting is heightened not only by its sheer size or the brilliant rendering of its subject by the artist but also the time it was executed and the ideologies it stands for. The painting included depictions of family planning, farmers and their families, and a builder with an axe in hand. The work portrayed the political climate of the time in India post-separation. This book was conceived in honor of Husain, and various anecdotal stories and interviews on the painting form a part of this book. The selected authors invited to write on Lightning address the painting as well as its creator from various angles. It is an attempt to create a whole story around this masterpiece; every brush stroke and every inch of the canvas has a story, secretly tucked away in the midst of the powerfully rendered horses, that is left for the beholder to decipher. Published in association with TamarindArt, New York, and Asia Society Museum, New York. Contents: Foreword; Journey of Lightning, its Creator and the Progressive Movement; A Personal Commentary; Biography; The Advent of a Masterpiece; The Roar of Crores; East Meets East in Husain’s Horses; Like Thunder and Lightning; A Narrative of the Nation; Husain’s Journey; Troublesome Entanglements: Art and the Asian Nation; In Conversation with M.F. Husain; The Unveiling of Lightning in New York; M.F. Husain; Selected Exhibitions.

The City Palace at Udaipur is part of a living cultural heritage that has survived in an unbroken line of custodianship from medieval kingship to modern democracy. This volume traces the cultural lineage of the palace through its art and architecture, arriving at a conservation model designed to preserve this magnificent structure for the future. Beginning with the historical precedents that led to the selection of Udaipur as the new capital of Mewar State, the authors of Living Heritage of Mewar trace the evolution of the palace, its sequence of inner and outer chambers, and the subsequent expansions, which added Mughal and British influences to its Mewar Rajput architecture. The authors, who are also conservation scholars, have outlined in this beautifully illustrated volume a master conservation plan that combines modern and traditional methods within the context of the unique history, condition and conservation needs of the City Palace Udaipur.

Drawing on the photographic albums in the personal collection of Sir John Marshall, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1902-1928, this volume is a study exploring multiple perceptions of Indian history and related scholarship produced through archaeological fieldwork during the colonial period. The book highlights major sites such as Sanchi, Sarnath, Mohenjodaro and Taxila – often referred to as Marshall’s archaeological triumphs. With over 100 illustrations and an extensive bibliography, this book offers a detailed account of the investigative technique that developed into a commanding disciplinary science-archaeology within British India. Co-published with Alkazi Collection of Photography.

Choosing bronze as her favorite medium, Meera Mukherjee (1923-1998) formed her own simplistic, modernist, life-like world of sculptures. They possess a ‘lifeforce’ that speaks to the ordinary being instead of alienating them. Mukherjee’s commitment to her practice made her valiant enough to step out of her comfort zone and dedicate herself to visual arts. Her devotion to the craft traditions of India guided her to Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and South India. The artist’s language is similar to that of the quotidian life in her immediate surroundings, shedding light upon social issues.

This one of a kind volume offers an understanding of Mukherjee’s art through the most comprehensive collection of essays by writers who have known her personally and professionally, as well as from translated texts and excerpts from her diary and letters. Published in association with Akar Prakar Gallery, Kolkata, Emami Art, New Delhi, and supported by Raza Foundation.

Postcards were to people in 1900 what the Internet was to the world in 2000. The world went from a thousand to a billion postcards in a very short span of time, with the finest painters from India, Austria and Japan getting involved. Paper Jewels is the story of postcards during the Raj, and covers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Burma. It is the first book on the subject and features hundreds of professionally-restored images in original format, weaving together the postcard artists, photographers, and publishers who define the rich history of the medium. The author’s research also charts the history and progression of the technological aspects of postcard publishing and its key players. The concluding chapters explore the role postcards played in the Independence struggle, from the First Non-Cooperation Movement through the Dandi March and Partition. It includes some of the earliest cards of Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and other political figures. Many of the images in the book have not been seen since they were first published nearly a century ago. Published in association with The Alkazi Collection of Photography.

In an age where contemporary art has changed in mediums and language, scope and intent, this book weighs in on the moodiness, methodology, efforts, mental blitzkriegs and inner workings of modern master of art Syed Haider Raza. This book unravels the workings of Raza’s oeuvre and life at the age of 94 years. It is an attempt at appraising and transmitting the prevailing winds of intent and insight in the works of Raza through conversations with him about contemporary art. Living now in Delhi, Raza is going through a revolution in which he is bringing back his past in his works he is ploughing the depths of past trends in his use of color fields, in contextualizing genres in his journey of the ‘Bindu’ and explaining intuitive strategies that reflect his journeys. Looking at Raza’s art is an intimate act of prolonged engagement. The Bindu too has transformed through decades it signifies a different tenor in a world torn by terrorism and death.

In tone and technique Raza is meticulous, historically informative, and has a sensitive yet straight-eyed approach that often takes the form of a discourse that invites cogent considerations; his reflections of spirituality and his favorite poets Rilke and Kabir build up into a flashback tinted in-your-face reflection that might involve the desire to dig deeper into his quotations.

Nevertheless, in his own specific way, Raza brings to his own works that essential recipe of criticism illustrated in essence with his own brand of expertise and taste. When he discusses his works done over the past two years, he travels through verbal and visual dynamics, and gives us a set of references and details that define his sensibility that brims to an inner core of intellectual and aesthetic insignias. In his twilight years, Syed Haider Raza is unveiled as a modern master who comes through more like a sage who swims in the fervor and ferment of thoughts shaped by 60 years in Paris as well as formative years in India.

Contents: Preface by Ashok Vajpeyi; Foreword by Reena Lath; Curatorial Note by Uma Nair; Plates; Biography of S.H Raza.

This comprehensive account traces James Waterhouse’s early career in Central India in the 1860s, through to his technical achievements in Britain in the 1900s. The works of this enigmatic figure devoted to the medium, acknowledged by his peers as “the father of photo-mechanical work”, until today remain unjustly neglected within the world of photography.

Banaras is a city on the banks of the river Ganges. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. It is regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is portrayed beautifully through Majumdar’s captivating perspective on different walks around the city. Banaras witnesses thousands of devout Hindus who journey to the banks of the Ganga to wash their sins away. The ghats and the riot of colors only add to the character of this city. Banaras now known as Varanasi is also a major tourist attraction and welcomes thousands from around the world.

The Kama Sutra is a two thousand year old mystical treatize on sexuality – read and revered for generations. This first ever collector’s edition takes a contemporary look at the perennial classic and pairs the ancient text with vibrantly colored and richly detailed illustrations.

Rare miniatures, gouache and tantric paintings are published here for the first time. The gold edged book comes in a hand made box made of pure silk. The lavish packaging and sumptuous production of the book makes it a remarkable keepsake.

Bombay Art Deco Architecture presents a treasury of Art Deco buildings comprising residential, commercial and civic architecture. These monuments were created during the mid ’30s and ’40s, a glamorous and optimistic era that predated the official end of the British Raj. The architects, a small list of first-generation Indian architects and builders, were mostly educated in English schools and trained in western architectural traditionst. Impatient with the British reluctance to shed the Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architectural styles that had dominated Imperial Bombay’s urban landscape, these visionaries were determined to imbue the city with a new modern style. That style shares its provenance with the Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach, termed ‘Tropical Deco’ by author Laura Cerwinske in her seminal 1981 book. Built in the same era, the Art Deco architecture of the two cities exhibits similar scale, geometry, tropical vocabulary, and love of romance.

This monograph showcases the trajectory of an empire built by the sheer dint of its driving success. Archgroup has gained international recognition as a comprehensive service provider in the architectural segment, with special focus being on its prolific and vital role dominating the skyline of the UAE’s world-class destination, Dubai. The firm’s work has now become synonymous with epithets such as ‘tallest’, ‘highest’ and ‘longest’ across the Gulf region.

Inside, the richly illustrated pages chronicle close to 100 projects by Archgroup, both built and in progress. Each work provides insight into the values, design-thinking and process-orientated approach that is the firm’s signature, making this volume a valuable resource that goes beyond the study of the built form to talk about the firm’s inimitable ethos that guides its design candor.

Delhi Then and Now comprises two masterful essays that trace the story of Delhi from the days when it was known by other names Indraprastha, Firozabad, Dinpanah to its reincarnation as New Delhi. Historian Narayani Gupta takes us through the city of Sultans, Mughal emperors and viceroys, while journalist Dilip Bobb shows us the face of New Delhi as it is now. A rich portfolio of archival photographs and illustrations, together with vibrant new pictures, edited by Pramod Kapoor, capture Delhi in all its glory past and present.

Delhi Then – A city of empires and dynasties, Delhi through the ages has evoked nostalgia of its history written on the red sandstone walls. From Quila Rai Pithora to the palace on Raisina Hill, the changing face of Delhi is remarkably discernible in these photographs – a special collection that give words to the spoken and unspoken history of this city. Delhi Now – A city of dreams and desires, Delhi’s urban landscape is incomplete without the stones of seven ancient cities which give it a distinct meaning, a distinct outlook. A modern city on the move, the colors and digital vibrancy of the photographs capturing Delhi in all moods and moments, is as imposing as the grand old structures of yesteryears. A twin city of old-world charm and new extravagance, Delhi has evolved through the ages and is looking forward to an era that will be remembered down the ages.

World-renowned architectural writer and critic Philip Jodidio delves into his selection of the Top Twenty-six of the most contemporary and current house designs from around the world, showcasing the most innovative and influential designs from Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South and Central America, India, and Asia. He provides an incisive analysis of the site-specific elements, key environmental factors of the landscape design, the use of spatial visualizations, light, sustainability, and materials, and other critical design features of each home. He expertly articulates and examines the relationships between the architecture and the intentions of the design for the people who live there, taking into account how the architecture affects human behavior, what enhances the success of the design of each home in this collection, with an overview of current industry trends, and where to next for residential design innovation. This beautifully presented book, filled with stunning photographs and detailed plans and diagrams, celebrates residential luxury, inspirational style and design innovation from around the globe.

“This is the travel photography book for our digital age. Tom’s incredible eye for capturing historical detail creates captivating imagery for the ultimate in escapist pleasure.” Kelly Wearstler, Interior Designer

“A true Renaissance man, Tom shares his vast architectural knowledge, artistic talent, and sense of humor in photographs and watercolors.” Amy Astley, editor-in-chief, Architectural Digest

This book is a celebration of the power of the smartphone camera combined with Tom Kligerman’s unique eye. Tom is a New York architect who adores travel and the different cultures of the world, recording vibrant details and evocative scenes on his iPhone as he journeys from India to New Mexico, from Beaux-Arts monuments to rustic barns, from ocean to mountaintop. The images have been curated into dynamic pairs that spark a conversation about the world and the different ways of seeing it. They are accompanied by Tom’s reflections, and those of his Instagram followers, in a series of captions, comments and mini essays. This book is a child of the pandemic, a time when people could only dream of traveling or relive past experiences, as Tom has done, from the image banks on their mobile devices. It rejoices in both the potential of new media and the physical pleasure given by a beautifully made and structured book. It allows readers a moment of pause and reflection, so necessary if we are not to be lost in the digital feed.

In 2019 Ali Kazim, one of the most exciting contemporary artists working in Pakistan today, became the first South Asian artist-in-residence at the Ashmolean Museum. Drawing inspiration from the objects in the Eastern Art collections, and their contextual history, he saw his time in the Museum as an opportunity to reimagine the objects in his own work and practise. Thus, the exhibition and accompanying catalogue will focus mainly on Kazim’s engagement with the Ashmolean collections and the works created between 2019 and 2021. Widely exhibited and collected internationally (including the British Museum, V&A, Metropolitan Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, etc.), Kazim lives and works in Pakistan. The exhibition and book provide the Museum an opportunity to engage wider diverse audiences, while also presenting the works of a contemporary multidisciplinary artist who reflects and draws strength from the Ashmolean collections.

Richly designed with beautiful images and illustrations, this edition, published in collaboration with INTACH Kashmir Chapter, is a celebration of architectural ornamentation in shrines and mosques of one of the most beautiful regions of India. The book is also a study to understand the Islamic architecture in the era of continuity and change. 

It began with a new camera, a retirement present from the author’s wife. The Kameng area in Arunachal Pradesh, familiar to the author’s family for over six decades, and the Monpa people provided the perfect subjects to indulge his interest in photography. Over time, the idea of a book firmed up, and the photographs coalesced into what was envisioned as a sensitive, not necessarily comprehensive, look at the Monpa way of life and their land, Monyul. The intent was not to be ethnographic or academic, but to portray the rapidly changing world of the Monpas. A meditative travelog in images that transforms into a thoughtful exploration, the book captures the lives of the people and the region. The author’s personal stories, interspersed throughout the book, tell of the Monpas’ hospitality and warmth, providing insight into the everyday lives of a spiritual community.

The father of fiber optics, Narinder Singh Kapany was far more than your typical multi-hyphenate. Inventor, art collector, sculptor, farmer, entrepreneur, teacher, and a successful businessman, Dr Kapany was what Fortune magazine in its 1999 issue called, ‘one of the seven unsung heroes of the 20th century’. An insightful and inspirational life story, this memoir chronicles his 90 remarkable years. Charming, idiosyncratic, and highly engaging, The Man who Bent Light serves up enough variety and verve to celebrate the lives of a half-dozen individuals. But there is only one Narinder Singh Kapany, and his life, illuminated in his singular memoir, is a life like no other.

Architecture Asia, as the official journal of the Architects Regional Council Asia, aims to provide a forum, not only for presenting Asian phenomena and their characteristics to the world, but also for understanding diversity and multiculturalism within Asia from a global perspective.

This issue focuses on how cultural identity and social responsibility can be embodied within architecture and space design, and features three essays and eleven projects that elaborate on this topic. Each essay discusses the social situation in Australia, Malaysia, and India, respectively, as the eleven projects, accompanied with full-color photos and text descriptions, highlight architectural works that include a community center, nursery, hostel block, and cultural museum, among others, to reveal how through these buildings cultural identity is strengthened, or social responsibility is extended.

The work of Esther Brinkmann is characterized by the meaning she bestows on the ring, its relationship to the hand and, perhaps most surprisingly, to its case. The Swiss artist prefers processed and textured materials, which now also include new component forms, techniques, and substances since her time living in China and India.

She established a further education training program in jewelry design — a unique undertaking in Switzerland — at the Haute École d’Art et de Design (HEAD) in Geneva. Here, her knowledge and autonomy in her work have already shaped several other artistic careers.

This publication presents Esther Brinkman’s oeuvre from the past 30 years and highlights for the first time the remarkable strength and the freedom that distinguish the artist’s rich career.

Text in English and French.

Pushtimarg, a Vaishnava sect founded by Vallabhacharya in the 15th century, lays great stress on worship of the deity Shrinathji through the joys of life and living and devotion through kirtan (devotional poem-songs), bhog (offerings of sumptuous food and beverages), shringara (offerings of adornment, through dressing and ornamentation), and decoration and painting. The paintings constitute the Nathdwara school, so named because the image of Shrinathji is enshrined in a temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Shringara of Shrinathji catalogs a set of previously unpublished miniature paintings of the Pushtimarg tradition from the collection of late Shri Gokal Lal Mehta. These 60 splendid artworks were executed by Sukhdev Gaur, the mukhia (chief artist) of the temple, during the dynamic stewardship of Tilkayat Govardhanlalji (1862–1934 AD). Documenting the high degree of skill in draughtsmanship, portraiture and in composition, expositions by artist Amit Ambalal accompany the exceptional, high-quality photographic reproductions of these beautiful paintings in this captivating volume.