The Forgotten Souvenir is an exhibition on mica paintings that represents a nearly forgotten chapter in Indian art, bridging the gap between the decline of traditional miniature painting and the rise of photography.
A woman dressed in a blue skirt and a red dupatta, sits on the ground, holding a beam balance in her left hand. She reaches into a plate of sweetmeats that are ready to be sold in the bazaar. Her dupatta is draped over her head, her black hair parted in the centre, and vermillion decorates her forehead. A pearl nose ring adorns her face. But where her facial features should be visible, we see only the transparent shine of the mica—she is faceless. Above her, a curtain is partially raised, but again, it reveals nothing but emptiness.
Much like this artwork, the ongoing exhibition ‘The Forgotten Souvenir’ showcases 83 artworks including 65 mica paintings, one booklet featuring a mica painting, a mica fan and 16 paintings on paper. The decision to present mica paintings as the focal point of this exhibition was driven by the fact that mica painting is a relatively forgotten practice, with little to no exhibitions dedicated to it. “We felt it was crucial to bring this unique painting tradition to the forefront and make it more widely known as many people are unaware of the use of mica in painting. Additionally, it is important to contextualise these artworks within the socio-political climate of their time. The caste and class connotations are evident and by examining this, we can also trace how European influences began to impact Indian artists, coinciding with the decline of royal court patronage and the commercialisation of artistic practices,” explains Khushi Bansal, curator of this show.
These works use mica, a silicate mineral consisting of hydrous potassium and aluminium, found in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Muscovite is one of the 28 types of mica and is the most common one. It was often referred to as ‘talc’ in colonial entries, though the chemical compositions are distinct. “Mica paintings closely resemble European glass paintings and were relatively easier to transport back to England. Therefore, European travellers, military personnel and officers started buying them as souvenirs and sending them back to England. It became a way of documenting their experience in India,” says Bansal. These paintings fall under a larger umbrella of what is commonly referred to as ‘Company School’, a generic term that reinforces a colonial-centric narrative that minimises the complexities of Indian artistic traditions. And so, they remain largely forgotten.
And this is why these paintings are being showcased here as the one thing that clearly distinguishes mica paintings from other Company School examples is its vibrancy. Due to the mineral’s nature, artists would use gouache, which the mica easily took to. “The thin mica sheets did not soak any of the pigment, resulting in its vibrancy. Though the common thread between mica and other examples is the choice in subject matter, which often featured the many trades, occupations, and castes of India,” explains Bansal.
To give a brief background into this style of painting, mica paintings served as a precursor to the many ethnographic studies of India that followed, highlighting colonial classifications that often reduced people to mere categories based on occupation, caste, and class. The exhibition is the first of its kind to focus on mica paintings, making The Forgotten Souvenir known, once again. “By the 18th century, the Mughal Empire’s power started to fade resulting in a decline of royal patronage. In the vacuum left by the Empire’s weakened state, the East India Company expanded its authority, with its officials becoming the primary patrons of the arts. European aesthetics started influencing Indian artists who, adapting to the tastes of their new clientele, started creating works not only on paper but also on mica, ivory, and shell,” says Bansal. The rich, natural pigments of Mughal painting were replaced by softer, nearly transparent pastel watercolours. This shift also impacted the scale of production, as the new patrons often had smaller budgets, prompting artists to adopt quicker, more economical methods, such as painting on mica.
These paintings became a way of the British documenting the length and breadth of their new colony. They provide an insight into how the coloniser viewed the colonised. Further, these paintings prove to show the way Indian artists adapted to a changing clientele and adopted new materials, mediums, and subject matters. The show is accompanied by ‘Moments before Mutiny’, a short film by Amit Dutta. The film plays a role in decolonising what is otherwise a deeply colonial subject matter. Its eerie and unsettling tone encourages visitors to confront the uncomfortable histories tied to the tradition of painting on mica, challenging them to reflect on the socio-political landscape of the time. The game ‘Made in Mica’, on the other hand, prompts for close looking and active engagement with the artworks.
In addition to the film and game, the exhibition is accompanied by a booklet which features an essay by artist Rahee Punyashloka, offering deeper insights into the subject matter. The booklet includes all the relevant material offering an insight into the practice of painting on mica.
This show was on display at The Museum of Art & Photography Bengaluru.
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