Craft, Community and Memories Photographs by Jyoti Bhatt

'Gallery Vayu, in collaboration with LATITUDE 28, presents Craft, Community and Memories, an exhibition of photographs by renowned Indian modernist artist, Jyoti Bhatt. Typically recognised as a painter and printmaker, here Bhatt turns to the camera, capturing India’s living craft traditions through murals, ritual markings, domestic interiors, and everyday objects. Craft, Community and Memories will be on view from 21st May to 31st May 2026 at Gallery Vayu, Lodhi Road.

Bhatt studied at M.S. University, Baroda, and from the late 1960s developed a sustained engagement with traditional Indian craft practices, particularly folk and tribal visual cultures across the country. Trained in painting and intaglio, he approached photography with the sensibility of a printmaker, observing traditions that informed his artistic practice. Reflecting on photography, Bhatt shares, 'Using the camera instead of a sketch-book, I realised that it was not merely a fast means of documentation, but also one that maintained a higher degree of objective fidelity.'

Spanning several decades, the exhibition brings together photographs from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and beyond. The works trace painted walls, shrines, architectural surfaces, and everyday objects, reflecting traditions carried across generations. The 32 photographs move between documentation and observation, capturing fleeting craft traditions alongside the character of everyday spaces. Bhatt’s lens moves between folk motifs, tribal dwellings, and handcrafted interiors, revealing places shaped through craft and habitation.

Commenting on the exhibition, Bhavna Kakar, Founder-Director, LATITUDE 28 and Editor, TAKE on Art, says, 'Jyoti Bhatt’s camera captures subtle nuances with a poetic sensibility, transforming his photographic archive into a kind of modern folklore. I am excited to see how this show will contribute to a renewed appreciation of his work and open new conversations around the role of art and documentation in society.'

The works also offer insight into a formative moment in post-colonial Indian art and cultural discourse. As artist Rekha Rodwittiya notes, Bhatt’s images evoke an era where the climate of cultural change within India was charged with passionate discourse, documenting artists, intellectuals, and communities negotiating new ideas of modernity and identity. Through Craft, Community and Memories, Gallery Vayu extends its engagement with craft traditions and artistic practices shaped by material history.'

Craft, Community and Memories by Jyoti Bhatt, on view at Gallery Vayu until 31st May. 

Words Platform Desk
Date 20.5.2026