FRIEZE MASTERS 2025

15—19 OCTOBER | BOOTH G4

Abstraction and Transcendence: Art of the Mind in India, 1600-1900

Prahlad Bubbar is delighted to participate in Frieze Masters London with a captivating collection of works speaking to the theme of ‘Abstraction and Transcendence.’ A scholarly e-catalogue with an introduction by renowned historian William Dalrymple will accompany the presentation.

Abstraction is fundamental to the artistic traditions of South Asia. From the geometry of cosmic diagrams and aniconic forms such as the Shiva linga to idealised depictions of nature, elaborate anthropomorphic deities and divine realms, Indian art is permeated with the abstract. As such it is an art of transcendence, seeking not to replicate the material world, but to reveal the true nature of reality that lies beyond it.

It was in 6^th century India that the concept of zero emerged, giving mathematical expression to the philosophical concept of the ‘void’ and marking a shift in man’s capacity for abstract thought. In art, abstract thinking was represented by abstract forms, allowing for the development and transmission of complex philosophical and religious ideas through images.

The human brain is wired to find delight in symmetry, contrast and colour. As described in the rich tradition of Indian aesthetics, art has the potential to precipitate a direct experience of the Absolute, or union with God. Abstraction is essential to this process, elevating the function of images beyond mere representation.

India’s rich tradition of abstraction also influenced the development of Modern art in the West. Artists seen as pioneers of Western abstraction, such as Kandinsky and H af Klint, drew inspiration from practices that had been developed in India over centuries.

Among the works presented are six paintings from the renowned collection of Jean Claude Ciancimino, including a Monumental scroll painting of the chakras of the subtle body, previously shown at the famous Tantra exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 1971. Other significant works include a rare, 19^th century sculptural throne composed of interlocking animal forms and an exquisitely painted mid 18th century Palampore textile of the Tree of Life from the Coromandel Coast.