"The series of photographs within Souvenir Shop by Bharat Sikka, draw inspiration from Sikka’s 16-year-old daughter, Mannat’s Haiku poetry and her fascination for Japan. This project began in 2023 during their first trip to Japan together. He aimed to create an intimate souvenir to bring back to India, capturing the feelings and emotions experienced during their travels in Japan, and reflecting on the mutual influence and interpretation of cultures. Mannat's discovery of popular Japanese culture began with Studio Ghibli films, which blossomed into a fascination with Japanese writers such as Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro. These influences profoundly shaped her perspective. Over the two trips to Japan in 2023 and 2024, Sikka developed a multilayered series of photographs, inspired by conversations with Mannat and her insights. The project evolved into a diverse collection of images, including documentation, collages, sculptures, and painted photographs. During the trips, they collected souvenirs which were integrated into the artwork, creating a narrative that bridged fantasy, fiction, and reality. This endeavour is a representation of the artist's interpretation of Japan, viewed through the lens of a personal journey of a father with his daughter.
These are two examples of the Haiku poems by Mannat Sikka that will be incorporated into the exhibition:
Shapes are seen in white,
into waves and winds they form.
Breezy, against my face.
Scrolls, books, poems,
reflect on what time was.
They bring me to the souvenir shop.
The project has been published as a book by Super Labo of Tokyo, incorporating both the father’s images and the daughter’s words, which will be available for sale at the gallery during the exhibition."
These are two examples of the Haiku poems by Mannat Sikka that will be incorporated into the exhibition:
Shapes are seen in white,
into waves and winds they form.
Breezy, against my face.
Scrolls, books, poems,
reflect on what time was.
They bring me to the souvenir shop.
The project has been published as a book by Super Labo of Tokyo, incorporating both the father’s images and the daughter’s words, which will be available for sale at the gallery during the exhibition."
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bharat Sikka (b. 1973) was raised in India and began his photographic practice before studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York. Sikka’s long-term photographic projects have examined the cultural and societal transformations within India, rendered with the visual language and material forms of contemporary art photography. His work has addressed the subjects of India’s history and regionality (in the series Where the Flowers Still Grow), the influence of globalization (in the series Matter), and masculinity (in the two series Indian Men and The Sapper).
Bharat Sikka resides in New Delhi and exhibits his work all over the world. This is his eighth solo show with Nature Morte.
Souvenir Shop opened on August 14th, 2025 and will stay available for viewing until September 6th, 2025 at Nature Morte, Mumbai.
Date 1-09-2025