Artist Jyoti Bhatt’s Through the Line & the Lens, curated by Rekha Rodwittiya

LATITUDE 28 is delighted to present a retrospective exhibition of the distinguished artist Jyoti Bhatt titled Through the Line & the Lens, curated by Rekha Rodwittiya, renowned artist and educator. This initiative stems from Bhavna Kakar’s vast printmaking collection that includes a distinct selection of Bhatt’s graphic prints. Featuring a rich array of his other etchings, lithographs, serigraphs, photographs, and writings—including diaries and letters—the exhibition presents an unparalleled insight into Bhatt’s practice and philosophy.

Our approach dives into the interconnected nature of Bhatt’s multiple practices, positioning them with his pedagogical frameworks. During the early post-independence years, when printmaking remained a relatively underexplored medium, Bhatt recognized its immense potential and harnessed its ability to document the fleeting nature of everyday ritualistic art and the evolving vocabulary of popular culture. His mastery of various techniques imbued his prints with a layered visual language, often infused with wit and satire.

Having trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Bhatt further honed his craft at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples and later at the Pratt Institute in New York during the early 1960s. In 1966, Bhatt returned with a thorough knowledge of the intaglio process. During this period, he and his compatriots at MSU came to be known as ‘The Baroda School’ of Indian Art. Over the years, Bhatt’s extensive photographic documentation of rural artistic traditions, vernacular art forms, and the vibrant academic life of Baroda has contributed significantly to the preservation of India’s visual heritage. Simultaneously, his meticulous investigations into traditional folk designs influenced the motifs he employs in his style of printmaking.

With an illustrious career spanning more than six decades, Jyoti Bhatt has been widely exhibited across the globe and has received many National and International prestigious awards and honours including Padma Shri, Kalidasa Award, Hon. Doctorate and five lifetime achievement awards. He attributes much of his success to the constant support and encouragement of his life partner, renowned ceramicist, (late) Ms Jyotsna Bhatt.

While looking back at her decades long association with Jyoti Bhatt, Rekha Rodwittiya notes, “Jyoti Bhatt often uses subversive inflections as a means by which he positions his politics, and the critique he has of establishments that he views as retrogressive to the ideals of pluralism and liberal thinking. In many instances he operated as a visual artist ahead of his time, presenting language constructs that use texts, and referencing art as a quotational strategy, which can be seen as the doorway to a post-modernist articulation that was to follow many years later.”

Opening Preview: 12th April 2025 | Saturday | 6 PM onwards
Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi – 110011

Exhibition Dates:
(A) 13th – 21st April 2025 | 11 AM – 7 PM
Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi – 110011
(B) 13th April – 25th May 2025 | 11 AM – 7 PM
LATITUDE 28, F-208, Lado Sarai, New Delhi 110030