STORIES… IN GLASS | Hemi Bawa

Hemi Bawa is a name to be reckoned with in Indian sculptural glass. This exhibition presents the story of a pioneering woman artist’s life. It is not only a tribute to her enduring work and presence in the Indian art world, but also to her life through which she navigated with poise and elegance despite the trials of working with glass, which was a new medium of Indian contemporary art. Her diverse genius took flight in Delhi at the Triveni Kala Sangam under the mentorship of Rameshwar Broota, who very soon realised that his student was more than capable of making her own way and forging a new direction. She took up the challenge of bridging the gap between the artisanal traditions of glass and her own creative inspiration to dissolve these boundaries. Her expression held the universe of endless innovation, and her experiments with the medium and its mixing with other materials like ceramics, copper, fibreglass, metal and light have shown us her innovative experimentation to forge a fresh language.

Her fascination and commitment to glass over the years have shown how dedication and perseverance can lead to perfection. Her works are defined by fine craftsmanship and Indian visual culture. This exhibition is a journey through time of Hemi’s life stories where she narrates the tales that inspired each series of works- be it in Kasauli, Goa or Delhi. Her life and work unfold around us in multifaceted ways lending insight into how her mind and heart translate life experiences into art. There is a quiet power in the objects of each series as room after room in Travancore House is designed to invite you into Hemi’s identity, history and lived experiences of home and family distilled into form. She has distilled schematic metaphors from a variety of historical and socio-cultural sources and context that developed her visual vocabulary into maturity, such as the Mughal series and the Goa flower women at market.

Hemi Bawa will always leave not just a ‘faintly impressed footprint on the sands of time’ but a gigantic one which will be inspiring for young glass artists and designers to follow her lead as she has opened up a new world for them.

She describes herself as a true Dilliwallah—born, raised, educated, and settled in Delhi, where the city has shaped every aspect of her life, both emotionally and physically. Her artistic journey also unfolded here, beginning with painting and years of training at Triveni under Mr.Rameshwar Broota, up until the Covid period. During her time at Triveni, she recalls the informal tea gatherings in the art department around 11 a.m., where artists would sit together, exchange ideas, and observe each other’s work. It created a sense of being part of a creative community. After Covid, however, she stopped going to Triveni and began working more independently in her own studio, focusing on sculpture and glass. While she valued the artistic environment at Triveni for keeping her connected to the wider creative world, her own practice has always been somewhat solitary. Though she shared warm relationships with fellow artists, the most meaningful feedback came from Mr. Broota, who acted more as a critical friend than a prescriptive teacher, encouraging self-direction rather than dictating choices. This guidance, she feels, played an important role in her development.

Alongside glass, she has also worked with painting, photography, and clay. In the late eighties and early nineties, a brief encounter with clay opened a new direction. The moment she placed clay in a furnace and sprinkled glass over it, she was captivated by the results. At one stage, she created a series of clay heads with glass, marking an experimental in-between period.While she continues to paint and enjoys it, her primary focus remains on glass, which she finds the most fulfilling medium.

During frequent travels to Europe, she discovered her fascination with glass, especially cast glass, which—with its ruggedness, texture, and distinct character—appealed to her far more than blown glass. Her regular visits to London often coincided with summer, when she took short courses at St. Martins to study sculpture and attended workshops on cast glass making outside the city. These workshops mainly provided mould-making techniques, leaving her to experiment and develop her own methods. At that time, India offered no infrastructure for cast glass—no studios and furnaces, —so she imported a small round furnace from England and began experimenting on her own.

Initially, she worked from a farmhouse at MG Road, but since electrical furnaces were not permitted in residential areas, she shifted to Faridabad and set up her present studio in an industrial zone. There, she commissioned a custom-built front-loading furnace, a makeshift but functional solution that remains in use today. Over the years, her collection has grown to four furnaces of different sizes. For her, the journey with glass has been one of constant exploration, challenges, and excitement.

– Kristine Michael