Renowned artist-designer Viraj Khanna is set to captivate Miami audiences with his latest collection of hand-embroidered cotton characters at I-Pop by Rajiv Menon Contemporary. The event will take place at the Untitled Art Fair, represented by Rajiv Menon Contemporary gallery, a Los Angeles-based gallery, from December 4th to 8th, 2024, at Miami Beach, Florida (USA). I-Pop is a dual showcase featuring Indian artists Tarini Sethi along with Viraj Khanna.
In this exhibition, Viraj presents embroidered artworks on innovative materials, marking a slight departure from his signature style. His narrative-driven approach vividly captures different moments of life through intricate embroidery threads. “This time, I have experimented with new materials such as artificial leather, artificial leaves, and grass as embroidery mediums. The idea is to explore the myriad possibilities of the medium and initiate a conversation about how we are represented by an ‘image’ in society,” says Viraj Khanna.
Embracing this year’s fair theme, “East Meets West,” Viraj brings to life the dynamic interplay between India’s rich heritage and the contemporary global landscape. His figures, a seamless blend of desires and emotions, embody the intersection of consumer culture and the wider contemporary art scene. Through his imaginative figurative style, Viraj employs traditional Indian embroidery techniques to craft a youthful voice that speaks to the moment of global encounter.
Viraj’s creative use of embroidery techniques such as zardozi and ari infuses the aesthetics of India’s global consumer culture—defined by fashion and design—into a painterly form that merges realism and abstraction, reflecting the evolving identities in South Asia.
Be ready to embark on a visual journey that bridges the gap between tradition and modernity, guided by the deft hands of Viraj Khanna. Don’t miss the chance to witness this unique blend of art and culture at Miami’s premier art event of the season.
I-POP: Encounters Between India and the West
Rajiv Menon Contemporary is proud to present I-Pop, a two-person presentation of Indian artists Tarini Sethi and Viraj Khanna. The artists in I-Pop articulate an emerging pop aesthetic in India. Embroidery, textile, and craftsmanship have been at the forefront of Indian popular expression, and have been major juncture points for the cultural encounter between India and the West. The presentation challenges the distinction between the “folk” and the “popular,” specifically honing in on embroidery and metalwork design as forms of globally influential popular aesthetic practices. Tarini Sethi and Viraj Khanna take this popular culture of materiality and elevate it to the realm of fine arts, locating a powerful pop aesthetic in the process. I-Pop marks the rise of two major young talents from India, demonstrating the significance of South Asia as a major global aesthetic force.
About Viraj Khanna
Viraj Khanna (b. 1995, Kolkata, West Bengal, India) studied Business Administration at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles in 2018. Viraj Khanna’s works have been exhibited in solo shows at the LOFT, Gallery Art Exposure, Kolkata (2021) and Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai (2022) and the India Art Fair 2023 with Tao Art Gallery. He is currently pursuing his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago.
