ARTICLE
Garhi Artist Studios
A multidisciplinary art space in New Delhi, India, Garhi Artist Studios, also known as Garhi Artists Village, was established in 1976 by the national fine arts academy Lalit Kala Akademi. It was conceived by the Modernist sculptor Sankho Chaudhuri as an affordable, communal studio space for artists. Since 2000, it has also functioned as one of the Akademi’s regional centres, with Chaudhuri serving as its first secretary.
Spread over an area of approximately 17,000 square metres, Garhi is located in the East of Kailash neighbourhood, on a Mughal heritage site known as Garhi Jharia Maria; some eighteenth-century structures still stand within the campus. The Delhi Development Authority granted the land for Garhi, which was originally named Kala Kuteer. Artists can apply to rent either shared or individual studios for a small monthly fee for a maximum of three years. Garhi is designed to accommodate over a hundred artists. While it became well known for printmaking in its early years, it offers facilities for various mediums, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, metalwork and filmmaking. The campus also has an exhibition space for shows and workshops.
Several artists and critics have been associated with Garhi, such as Gogi Saroj Pal, Himmat Shah, Jogen Chowdhury, KG Goel, Mrinalini Mukherjee and Prayag Shukla; the painter Manjit Bawa set up the silkscreen printing unit at the campus. The mix of veteran and younger artists has fostered mentorship and creative collaborations within Garhi, in line with its original intentions. In recent years Garhi has been reported as facing neglect and a lack of infrastructure coupled with poor management, bureaucratic issues and conflicts with residents of surrounding areas, though it continues to be used for artistic work and events.
Bibliography
Delhi.Bombay.Goa. “Delhi’s Sarkari Art Centre: Garhi.” September 16, 2013. Accessed December 18, 2024. https://delhibombaygoa.blogspot.com/2013/09/delhi-art-garhi-studio.html.
Lalit Kala Akademi. “Garhi.” Accessed December 20, 2024. https://lalitkala.gov.in/.
Space 118. “Garhi Artist Studios, Lalit Kala Akademi.” Accessed December 20, 2024. https://www.space118.com/mapping-residencies/garhi-artist-studios/.
Tripathi, Sneha. “Art Haven in Garhi Village Withers Away.” Hindustan Times. August 3, 2016. Accessed 20 December 2024. https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/garhi-art-haven-withers-away/story-R8a1MiQT0PVhi3PK32tZlO.html.