"The only politics I’m interested in is the politics of art,” laughs Raihan Vadra, the 24-year-old son of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra, dismissing rumours of his impending entry into politics in the footsteps of five generations before him. The artist’s heart lies elsewhere: in his photography, in the wilderness it so often captures, and in creating multimedia exhibits that leave his viewers feeling deeply. “When people come to my shows, I want them to experience a story that they are able to connect with,” says Vadra, who was in the city as the curator of Bangalore Art Weekend, his first solo curation, having previously curated for his co-founded artist collective You Cannot Miss This.
The artist, who studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, has held three solo exhibitions, with his first, ‘Dark Perception’ (2021), exploring themes of perception and control; ‘Anumana’ (2022), delving into ideas of choice and compulsion; and ‘Upamana’ (2024), exploring the impact that comparisons can have on a person, united by the Indian philosophical concepts of the five ‘pramans’ which are meant to be the means by which human beings gain accurate knowledge.
At first glance, these exhibits have vastly different visuals with ‘Dark Perception’ held in complete darkness and ‘Anumana’ featuring bright colours and objects. What unites them, according to Vadra, is an ongoing story and a commitment to immersing his viewers in it. “With the first show right after Covid, having lived through this period of extreme control, I was reflecting on different forms of control – how we are subconsciously controlled and how that alters our perception. So when you walked into the show every element was controlled,” explains Vadra, adding that there is a perceptible visual language stringing the shows together.
With photographs of a leopard’s piercing gaze, a grey figure immersed in water, a tree branch with a photo print draped on it scattered throughout his work, Vadra’s fascination with the wilderness, which first led him to pick up the camera, is apparent. “As a kid, I used to spend a lot of time in Ranthambore National Park and Jim Corbett National Park,” he says, adding, “I feel nature is a natural conclusion to the problems that arise from many of the concepts I talk about. Nature has a freeing element to it and I feel very much at peace in nature.”
Tackling concerns such as these, one wonders if growing up in the public eye, scrutinised as the scion of India’s most well-known political family, may have had an influence. “Yeah, of course,” says Vadra, confessing, “Perception, comparison, and choice – everyone faces them, but for me, they have a lot more to do with the public sphere. My work is born out of my experiences but I try and tone it down because I want it to be translatable to anyone.”
Asked if his art has facilitated conversations with his parents about these experiences, Vadra explains that it’s the other way around, “I’ve always had a great friendship with them. I’ve been able to talk to them about a lot of things which is why I can express myself so easily through my art.” He adds, “They’re very supportive and have come to all the shows, especially when they’re in New Delhi. They also give honest feedback.”
