Ojas Art presents The Divine Deities a rare collection of zari work oleographs by Raja Ravi Varma. He took art beyond the boundaries of palaces in the early 19 th century to the drawing rooms and puja rooms of homes through his oleographs.
An oleograph is a print made with oil paint, and is made to look like an oil painting. Varma popularized this technique through his printing press in Mumbai (then Bombay), which he set up in 1892 to produce high-quality prints of his paintings. In the early 20 th century, some oleographs made their way to Burma, where they were further embellished with embroidery and zardosi. The pieces with the zari work are truly collectable as each one is unique.
Also, on display will be a special selection of oleographs that have been exhibited at the Asia Society Texas Center in 2014 and at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Atlanta in 2020.
Find out more about the show here.