Artist Shefali Upadhyay’s latest exhibition, Wabi Sabi: The Secret Garden, presents a unique artistic perspective on everyday fruits and vegetables. Held at The Habitat Center recently, the exhibition celebrates the beauty of natural imperfections, highlighting the essence of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which finds charm in asymmetry, roughness, and simplicity.
Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese concept, celebrates imperfection, impermanence, and the beauty of nature's transience. In The Secret Garden, Shefali Upadhyay showcases paintings inspired by this philosophy, exploring themes of harmony and simplicity through delicate brushstrokes and earthy tones. This collection invites viewers into a serene and introspective experience, appreciating the understated elegance of imperfection.
Upadhyay’s artwork captures the textures, colours, and organic details of fruits and vegetables in a way that transforms them into profound artistic expressions. Each piece invites viewers to appreciate the inherent beauty of nature’s irregularities—be it a slightly misshapen apple, a bruised banana, or a tomato with an uneven surface. Her brushstrokes and color palette bring out the vibrancy and depth of these everyday objects, making them appear both realistic and abstract simultaneously.
Speaking about her inspiration, Upadhyay shared, “Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of our daily lives, yet we often overlook their individuality. Through this series, I wanted to celebrate their imperfections, which make them unique and beautiful in their own way.”
The exhibition has drawn art enthusiasts, critics, and visitors who admire Upadhyay’s ability to turn simple subjects into powerful artistic statements. Many have praised the way her paintings challenge traditional ideals of beauty and encourage a fresh perspective on the ordinary.
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