I’ve known Anjana Mehra for over 25 years, and in all that time, she has been one of those rare, steady figures in the art world — solid, consistent, and present, but never seeking attention. Her work speaks for itself, grounded in quiet introspection and a deep engagement with the world around her. Her latest show, Four Walls One Square Foot A Piece of Sky, held at the age of 75, marks another important chapter in an ongoing exploration of space, identity, and the ever-changing urban landscape of Bombay.
Anjana has always been fascinated by space. I remember when her art first focused on the industrial mills of Bombay — vast, crumbling structures that seemed to hold the weight of the city’s history. Later, her attention turned to the pavements, and for almost eight years, she captured the overlooked moments of urban life with the same care and depth. She shared these images on social media, building a unique archive that showcased the city’s raw, unpolished beauty. Through these shifts, Anjana has consistently addressed how space, in all its forms, shapes us.
This latest exhibition reflects a shift in her practice. As a long-standing observer of her work, and having worked with her, I thought I knew what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the changes in both scale and intimacy. Anjana has moved toward smaller works, creating intricate pieces that feel both personal and revealing. This shift comes after a long and arduous legal battle with a builder that took a toll on her and her husband, Jethu Mondal. The collages incorporating fragments of legal documents and photographs of her demolished home speak of that struggle. It’s evident in these works — this isn’t just a fight for a physical space but for the memories and identity tied to it.
Anjana’s shift to smaller canvases can also be linked to her medical journey. After facing an issue that made it impossible for her to stand and work on her larger canvases for nearly a year, she adapted her process. The use of the Rotring pen to create fine, detailed, and legible text adds an element of intimacy to these smaller works. This text is not merely scratched into the surface, but carefully written — stories embedded in every stroke.
As always, Anjana’s paintings are filled with contradictions. There are still elements of the city’s stark, industrial beauty — blue tarps and corrugated roofs, the raw texture of concrete—but these works also speak to a softer, more reflective side. The shadows she paints feel almost like ghosts from her old home, where a jail stood nearby. These looming shadows are absent of human figures, perhaps symbolizing the alienation she felt moving from a second-floor house to the 16th-floor apartment that now houses her. In her shift from the lower to the higher, she has elevated herself, physically and artistically, but with that elevation comes a sense of distance, of disconnection from the human form.
Yet, there is a romance in Anjana’s work. She finds beauty not in the grand or the obvious, but in the everyday, the overlooked. The pipes and the buildings, the tarps and the rooftops—these are her companions now, speaking in their own quiet way. Her works are a meditation on the city’s spirit, its resilience, and its capacity for both beauty and hardship.
As Anjana herself puts it, “The skyscrapers are my urban scape mountains. I enjoy the clouds and rain on and through windows. When I look at all the blue tarpaulin on rooftops of old buildings, it looks like urban ponds. It’s a matter of perception. Nature merging with the urban scape to form a concrete landscape, which carries its own aesthetic beauty!”
At 75, Anjana continues to surprise me. In a world of noise and constant clamouring for attention, she remains an artist whose work does not scream for recognition. It simply exists, quietly, with profound honesty. Four Walls One Square Foot A Piece of Sky is a testament to her continued evolution as an artist and as a person. Her art is a quiet, intimate reflection of her life, her struggles, and her unwavering connection to the city that has shaped her.
(‘Four Walls One Square Foot A Piece of Sky’ works by Anjana Mehra on till January 4, 2025 at Nine Fish Art Gallery, The New Great Eastern Mills, Mumbai)
