HEMA UPADHYAY | Untitled

Acquired at a local German auction house, circa 2018

"I like to tell any stories, whether real or imaginative. These are even reflections of one's phobias, shortcomings. The recurring theme in my work is autobiographical. In addition, it is the cathartic factor that becomes the reason to take these objects and convert their ability. Yes… my work is cathartic in process." (H. Upadhyay quoted in 'Hema Upadhyay', Vadehra Art Gallery, http://www.vadehraart.com/hema-upadhyay)

Hema Upadhyay's mixed media works straddle the realms of reality and fantasy. Her works focus on the city of Mumbai and its status as a melting pot of culture, migration and dislocation. Her complex and decorative series of works in gouache, acrylic, graphite and photograph on paper speak to the mysterious sub-surface of urban living in this bustling metropolis.