Artist Harmandeep Keerti was inspired by the 15th-century saint-poet Guru Ravidas’s idea of a sorrow-free city.
In Guru Ravidas’s teachings, Begumpura is an ideal city without sorrow or pain, where there’s no discrimination or injustice. Taking notes from the same, Keerti paints peaceful nature, and a place which is just perfect.
Keerti’s 28 detailed works based on plein-air observations from his hometown of Saharanpur are on display at Triveni Art Gallery in New Delhi. One can notice the immense patience that went into making each artwork. The drawings, many of them built over months, show trees, shoots, and leaves across different seasons. “Every leaf in nature has its own space to be,” says the artist. “And so does every line in a drawing.”
Keerti spent over six years developing the idea of Begumpura, not only as a “utopia", but as a state of mind. “For me, it’s a place of inward peace, stillness, and dignity,” he explains. “It’s not just about escaping sorrow, but about imagining a world without hierarchy, noise, or haste.”
The exhibition, titled ‘Begumpura–shoots and leaves’ moves through soft off-white tones, with the occasional use of pink, blue and brown pastels, suddenly shifting the atmosphere. The works depict calm early mornings, dry Saharanpur heat, and the hush of winter light.
“There is a tree I sat under each time I went out to draw,” Keerti recalls. “I painted it three times because it brought me a sense of bliss.” He says it was only after moving to Delhi that he truly understood what Saharanpur had given him: “I suddenly felt like a fish out of water, that suddenly knew what water was.”
Keerti paints nature as if he is able to feel its presence, just like a living being. “Trees have a dignity in their patience,” he says. “They’re alive, and they communicate. One just has to be present to notice.” His practice, shaped by cycles of walking, pausing, and observing, honours this slow unfolding.
Each drawing is also reflective of the season in which it was made. According to the artist, Ink behaves differently in summer and winter. “Morning and evening light change everything. It’s like a quiet collaboration with time.”
The exhibition is on view at Triveni Art Gallery, Delhi, from 11am to 7pm, till July 31