Constructed Stillness

About the Exhibition

Artisera

Stillness is often mistaken for absence — of movement, of sound, of time. Yet the stillness encountered in the works of Ashu Gupta and Sangeeta Abhay is neither passive nor empty. It is deliberate, accumulated, built. In Constructed Stillness, calm emerges not as a given condition, but as the result of sustained engagement with mark, material, and time itself.
At first glance, the practices of Ashu Gupta and Sangeeta Abhay appear materially and visually distinct. One builds intricate worlds through the discipline of pen, ink and paper piercing, while the other shapes presence through oil painting and sculptural form. Yet beneath this divergence lies a shared inquiry: how stillness is constructed — patiently, deliberately, over time.
In both practices, time is not depicted but embodied. Repetition becomes rhythm; layering becomes duration; material becomes memory. Together, the two artists expand the meaning of stillness. It is not passive. It does not arrive fully formed. It is constructed — through labour, through patience, through sustained engagement with form.
Constructed Stillness invites viewers to move between intimacy and monumentality, detail and presence. In a world marked by speed and constant disruption, the exhibition proposes another rhythm: one in which calm is not assumed but made.
This exhibition was originally held at Bikaner House, New Delhi from 27 February – 2 March, 2026.

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Ashu Gupta

Artisera

Ashu Gupta’s works are durational fields. Each mark or piercing is a unit of time, each repetition an act of return. Pattern gradually gathers into structure, structure resolves into image, and the image invites a pause. In an era accustomed to rapid consumption, Ashu’s process resists immediacy. Her creations demand slowness. They cannot be apprehended with a mere glance. The act of viewing mirrors the act of making: attentive, measured, sustained. Stillness, here, is constructed through accumulation. Time does not disappear; it settles into the density of her patterns.
Engaging with themes of nature, childhood memories, physical expression and inner thought, Ashu explores human experiences as a keen observer of life’s fleeting fragments. A schoolboy ascends under the weight of possibility, books flowing outward like a private mountain. Dice align in a randomised order, disrupted by a singular defining intervention. Corners of a home silently witness life within. A bird sits within a dense tree, contemplating flight. These are moments poised between motion and pause — scenes that feel held rather than hurried.

Sangeeta Abhay

Artisera

Sangeeta Abhay approaches stillness through a rigorous vocabulary. Working across oil, gold leaf, resin, metal, and found materials, she constructs forms that balance complexity with clarity. Layering becomes both visual strategy and temporal record. Gold leaf catches and releases light. Textured surfaces reveal evidence of labour beneath their composure. Sculptural works hold weight and equilibrium with quiet authority. Here, stillness is not immediate — it is achieved through material negotiation and layered intent.
Sangeeta takes on a deep exploration of the idea of ‘Utpatti’ — a Sanskrit word meaning “origin” or “creation,” signifying the beginning of new possibilities. In her practice, creation is not presented as dramatic or turbulent. Instead, Sangeeta focuses on the point at which form has already emerged and settled. Her paintings and sculptures capture this state of arrival — where the energy of becoming has stabilised into presence. The body of work is inspired by the ‘Shivalinga’, a profound symbol of the union between ‘Purusha’ and ‘Prakriti’. It reflects the silent moment from which life and vision emerge, where intention takes form and potential begins to unfold. It is a timeless expression of balance, clarity, and harmonious growth.