A soft sunrise, the changing colours of the sky, the bustle of a city street, reading a favourite book, or sharing simple moments with family and friends—where would we be without the power of sight?
Sight is something most people rarely think about, and the advantage it brings of experiencing the beauty of everyday life in countless ways. A recent exhibition at Delhi’s Bikaner House turns attention to this very idea in an unusual way, taking inspiration from the everyday realities of a working eye hospital. Titled ‘Through The Artist’s Eye’, British artist Stuart Robertson’s latest show features works created during an 18-month residency at Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in Daryaganj. On view till May 3, it captures the daily rhythm of the hospital through photography, drawings, bronze sculptures, cyanotype prints, and more.
Focus on the eye
A few years ago, Robertson sold two large watercolour works to a Delhi-based eye surgeon. He later chose to donate the earnings to the surgeon’s hospital, Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, as a way of giving back. The gesture eventually led to an invitation for him to spend time at the hospital as an artist in residence.
Recalling his eagerness to be part of the project, Robertson said he “just jumped at the chance,” not wanting to miss the opportunity. Robertson’s works focus on eye patients at the hospital, its staff—whom he describes as working like a family—and the lanes of Chandni Chowk where it is located.
Robertson said he tried to stay “invisible” while working, so that his subjects remained unaware they were being drawn, giving the works a candid and unguarded feel. Additionally, much of the photography was shot on an iPhone, rather than “a big camera pointing in their face”, to avoid intrusion.
The exhibits consist of hundreds of works lined up on the walls, along with sculptures made out of found objects. Pencil sketches of the patients, and the hospital has been drawn with utmost detailing. Whereas, the blue cyanotype prints, depicting images of parts of the inner eye, are particularly impressive.
On the other hand, the play of light and shadow in gelatin prints is perfectly visible — in photos of sunlight pouring in through a window in a hospital room; patients waiting in the Outpatient Department (OPD), doctors performing surgeries, and many more.
‘Hidden Circles’ is a series of 18 images that focus on different circular forms observed by the artist — an exhaust fan, an eye X-ray, pothole covers, and even a parked rickshaw, hinted at through its wheel, among others.
The hospital’s location in Daryaganj, close to the lanes of Chandni Chowk, also leaves its influence on the artist’s works. Scenes from the surrounding neighbourhood capture the bustle of Old Delhi lanes—workers inside cloth shops, snack stalls, posters pasted haphazardly on walls, and people seated outside their stores.
A life-changing experience
Robertson said working for this project has been "life-changing” for him. “I’ve learned a lot of lessons in life by being there,” he remarked. He spoke of becoming more aware of how easily sight is taken for granted, even by those who depend on it the most. “Most people take it for granted that they can see,” he said, adding that the work of the hospital “gives a fantastic gift of sight.”
He came across stories that were hopeful as well as quite distressing. After Diwali, he recalls seeing a surge of young patients with firework injuries. Yet there were also moments of hope — of successful surgeries, children seeing clearly for the first time, and stories of treatments that could change a lifetime.
While speaking with TMS, Robertson also reflected on his experience of working in India’s artistic environment, calling it a space of constant learning. “The intellectual level here for the arts is huge… I’m learning all the time,” he said.
The exhibition, ‘Through The Artist’s Eye’ is a reminder for the viewers that vision, like health itself, needs care, attention and responsibility. The works nudge the audience to think about their own habits—how easily the body is taken for granted, and how important it is to protect it.