Artist Jenjum Gadi bridges Galo heritage and modern art in his new show in Delhi
Artist Jenjum Gadi is transitioning from fashion design to fine art, with a new exhibition in Delhi that explores his Galo heritage. His work uses brass and metal to create installations inspired by his village life and family history.
Why it matters
It showcases the intersection of traditional indigenous heritage and contemporary art, highlighting the evolving creative landscape in India.
It was quite comical that just as Jenjum Gadi was talking of how gardens inspire his art, his gardener, who tends his Hauz Khas terrace garden, had already called him thrice. “My maali is not perfect but I just love him,” says the artist with a green thumb and an elephant’s memory. Back home in Arunachal Pradesh, his family communally owns and does jhum farming on the mountains.
Jenjum, 44, belongs to the Galo tribe that lives in the non-touristy Tirbin village, in Lower Siang district of the eastern Himalayas. For the last 20 years, he has made Delhi home.
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