Notes on Labour (detail)

The Industrial Arts Gallery on the ground floor of the Museum presented a newly commissioned mural. A curved wall was designed keeping in mind the architecture of the museum, specifically its arched ceilings and its tympanum. The concave surface has a series of painted motifs that reflect the artist’s exposure to the ‘Journal of Indian Art and Industry, published by W. Griggs and Sons in 1886. with illustrations by Lockwood Kipling (father of Rudyard Kipling) and whose copies are a part of the Museum’s library. The convex surface has preparatory material such as images from the Journal, sketches, and colour tests taped on it. This wall painting was created on-site within the museum.

The work was featured as part of the exhibition 'Notes on Labour' by Praneet Soi. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and showcased Soi's works created over periods of extensive engagement with artisans in Kolkata, Srinagar, and Guangzhou in China.