Amidst the rising skyline, with cranes and machines dominating the cityscape, the city still holds peace. Mumbai has held space for novelty, allowing arts and crafts from around the world to penetrate the city. In 2011, blues came to India revitalised through the Mahindra Blues Festival. Since then, Mumbai has become the new abode for the blues. For over 12 editions, the festival has become a cornerstone in upholding the legacy of the blues legends while paving the way for new artists. This year, artist Dhruvi Acharya brings together the essence of both blues and the city, paying tribute to the legacy of the festival as well as Mumbai’s evolving face. The poster very beautifully captures the soul of the city against the backdrop of the artists’ immortal legacy who have performed during the past editions of the festival. Poetic, political, and whimsical, it chronicles the journey of blues, the genre that carried the noble message of love and freedom from the Mississippi Delta and bars of Chicago to the suburbs of Mumbai. Bold, yet tender, the colours and storytelling in the poster celebrate the legacy of the festival.
In the poster, we can see the dusky skylines of the city in a golden hue onto the city while the stars, twinkling amidst the clouds in the sky, represent the past glory of the festival. The artist weaves, in the sky, the names of legends like Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, Taj Mahal, and Blackstratblues, who illuminated Asia’s biggest celebration of blues with their presence. At the heart of the imagery is a female blues artist standing with a guitar, commanding the space with ferocity.
The artist also intertwines beauty and history as she layers the poster with cotton balls blooming out of animated flowers. This symbolises the history of resistance and strength that the African Americans infused in this genre. Dhruvi Acharya body of work has captured the journey of urban women as she captures the emotional and psychological agony that urban women endure by infusing subtle, dark, and wry humour.
As the fans await the 13th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival, Dhruvi’s art draws the fans into the two worlds with a singular soul—a city that rises against all odds and a genre that holds power and uplifts.
California Almonds bring a nutritious twist to celebrating the harvest season.
Dhruvi’s wide array of stellar work has been exhibited at the San Jose Museum in California, Queens Museum in New York, Spazio Oberdan in Milan, Griffith University in Brisbane, Webster University in St. Louis, and CSMVS & NGMA in Mumbai. Adding to her stellar portfolio, she has also held solo exhibitions with Chemould in Mumbai, Kravets/Wehby in New York, and Nature Morte in New Delhi. After living in the USA for nine years, Dhruvi now works and resides in Mumbai.
