Indian artists show different shade of rising urbanization

Indian artists display their works in a Beijing art show. Highlights include Unremitting Expansion by Pooja Iranna, Seventy Synonyms for Water in Sanskrit by Sheba Chhachhi, Vulnerable Guardians by Arunkumar H.G. and Untitled (Reflection) by Atul Bhalla.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Bhalla examines the varied purposes people use water for by showing in his photos, Untitled (Reflection), the reflection of objects in the waters of Jamuna River.

He expresses concerns about the heavy pollution of the river, which plays an important role in the life of Delhi residents, him included.

Chhachhi, a new-media artist, also puts the same river at the center of her work. Three light boxes are hung in a line and in each of them moving images of rubbish and industrial waste are projected upon a photo of the Jamuna.

Her other installation is also a light box, which shows the back of a woman's head, with lines of words written in Sanskrit scrolling from top to bottom. The words are 70 synonyms for "water" in the ancient Indian language.

With a poetic touch, Chhachhi alerts viewers to the destructive results of rapid industrial development.

Indian artists are also nurtured by the designs, colors and other imagery details of India's traditional culture and handicraft. They've sourced inspiration from age-old Indian lifestyles.