APOLLO MAGAZINE
By Rachel Parikh
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| Detail of "Son et Lumiere" (2006–10), Nilima Sheikh. Above the Mughal Emperor are three beheaded holy figures that are no doubt derived from Fra Angelico’s Beheading of St. Cosmas and St. Damian. |
ILLINOIS---On 8 March, ‘Nilima Sheikh: Each Night Put Kashmir in Your Dreams’ opened at the
Art Institute of Chicago. This is the first solo
museum exhibition of the revered Indian artist,
Nilima Sheikh (b. 1945). The small but significant show features eight large banners (305 x 183cm), painted between 2003 and 2010, and two that were created especially for this installation. The result is a bewildering, vibrant, kaleidoscopic set of works that not only acknowledge the Hindu-Muslim conflict, but cast light on Kashmir’s composite history and culture. Renowned for its beauty – often referred to as a paradise on earth – it is also infamous for its turbulent history. She represents Kashmir as naturally and culturally beautiful, but haunted by pain and turbulence. [
link]
Art Institute of Chicago: ‘Nilima Sheikh: Each Night Put Kashmir in Your Dreams’ (May 18); 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; (312) 443-3600; artic.edu
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"Son et Lumiere" (2006–10), Nilima Sheikh. Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi.
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