Surbhhi K. Modi is a multidisciplinary artist who works with sculpture, textile and installations to create whimsical, allegorical works that fit into her non- linear universe.
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Surbhhi K. Modi is a multidisciplinary artist who works with sculpture, textile and installations to create whimsical, allegorical works that fit into her non- linear universe.
The Mother Installation draws on the Mother and Child series that Surbhhi has been diligently working on since 2015. The new installation featured four monkeys, each distinct yet connected, symbolizing the profound bond between mother and child. Drawing from her own experience as a mother of two, the installation held deep personal significance for Surbhhi K. Modi. She had meticulously handcrafted over a million strands of hair, shaping them onto the monkey bodies with great care. The faces were crafted from brass, a material frequently used by the artist. These maternal figures commanded the four corners of the Gardens, exuding a sense of quiet strength, protection, and tender care. Despite their smiling faces and vibrant colors, the unmistakable feminist undertones of the work were evident.
Cast Brass, Resin, Steel
The Monkey or Bandar is an ongoing subject of Surbhi’s artistic ouvre, which she revisits often. The Bandar is a deeply complex work which is highly conceptual, it is both personal referring to familial love and a cry for independence and yet it deals with universal themes of national pride, social-cultural issues, and freedom of speech and body. Bandar intends to spread the message of tolerance, love, unity despite diversity, of being human not just just a woman or an Indian.
Fibreglass, Resin, Proprietary Paints,
Silver leaf, Gold leaf, Acrylic eyes
50 inches X 42 inches X 38 inches
2024
Inspired by nature and paganism, Surbhhi has often used flora and fauna in her practice allegorically, always talking to a deeper meaning. She has often used the elephant, emblematic of Lord Ganesha, the elephant god of prosperity and joy as a floating metaphor for India, for knowledge, and sometimes as a canvas for her personal messaging.
Surbhhi’s first elephant sculpture was in 2017, when she was invited as one of India’s top 101 creative people, to draw awareness to the condition of Asian Elephant with the Elephant Family Trust, United Kingdom.
Her elephant, Frendlee (2017) was showcased at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, and later auctioned for charity. In the following iterations of the elephant, such as Roselee (2023) and Little Frendlee (2024) she is still imagining a utopian world where India and China are friends and world geo-politics is fair, cordial, inclusive and peaceful.
Fibreglass, resin, marble dust, hand painted in proprietary paints
57 inches X 59 inches X 33 inches