It was a very special evening at the opening of the new studio of Artist Satish Gupta in Jorbagh, New Delhi. Art connoisseurs and a select gathering entered the studio space through a passageway of hanging scrolls with haikus calligraphed on them which took you on a journey of the artist’s life while zen music filtered in. The new Zen studio is an exceptional space curated by the artist to showcase his Art in an understated way with soothing monochrome walls and state of the art light fixtures which enhance the feeling of calm so inherent in his signature Zen sculptures and paintings. It is an awesome spell that overtakes the visitor, with his select artworks displayed – a mix of his styles including some sculptures, art works – an enthralling brief journey into his space. Asked about the new studio, says the artist: “I am very happy that now I also have a space in Delhi, apart from my studio in Gurgaon, where I can create art in peace which is in a quiet corner of Delhi next to the Lodhi Gardens. I have named it Zazen Studio 59, as the number of the house is 59 and the name also recalls the iconic studio 59 of New York”. Zazen meditation makes you aware of the transient nature of life and the inherent beauty of this moment. He says “I am drawn to Zen aesthetic, because of its simplicity, the play of emptiness and fullness, the asymmetrical forms and voids but above all the silence — the tranquility. I guess that special sense of peace that pervades Zen aesthetics is the beginning of what I would call ‘my encounter with spirituality’. That is what nourishes my soul – to make art that uplifts the soul and reaches the secret silent space of the heart.”
Satish Gupta is a renowned painter, sculptor, poet, writer, printmaker, skilled draftsman, muralist, designer, and calligrapher. His works were exhibited at the Venice Biennale and Art Laguna, Arsenal and at The Deborah Colton Gallery in Houston in 2017. He has exhibited in over 36 solo shows at important art galleries and museums internationally including Shanghai Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Sacred Arts, Brussels and The National Ethnographic Museum in Slovenia.
Satish Gupta is known for his large copper sculptures which can be seen at the Delhi International Airport where his SURYA is displayed at T3, the DEVI at the Leela Palace Hotel, the utsav murti of LING BHAIRAVI at Sadhguru’s ashram in Coimbatore, the VISHNU at the Ambani house in Mumbai and THE BUDDHA at the museum also in Mumbai.
His book ‘Zen Whispers’ was released at the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2018.
He created a 1.6 kilo meter long interactive live calligraphy canvas in Pondicherry called MA to bring awareness about global warming. This is possibly the longest painting in the world. His recent shows were in Los Angeles and in Sylt, Germany.
