A SCULPTOR’S JAIPUR SOJOURN: ANDREW HORSFALL AT THE GYAN MUSEUM
The British artist’s latest retrospective explores human frailty, material excess and the shifting tides of belief.
In a city steeped in history, where the old and the new exist in seamless dialogue, Jaipur’s Gyan Museum stands as a beacon of cultural preservation. Nestled within its private collection—one of India’s most eclectic—this season’s focus is British sculptor Andrew Horsfall, whose retrospective, running until May 30, 2025, unpicks the contradictions of modern society with a striking mix of tradition and technology.
For Horsfall, who relocated his studio to Jaipur in 2020, this exhibition is as much a personal reflection as it is a public statement. The 25-year survey of his work—presented across a spectrum of materials, from bronze and sandstone to blue pottery and digital 3D modeling—challenges viewers to confront questions of power, exploitation, and survival in an era of excess.
A Museum Steeped in Legacy
Housed within a 750-square-foot contemporary gallery, the Gyan Museum is a passion project of the Dhaddha family, built on the vast private collection of Gyan Chand Ji Dhaddha (1940–2004), a gemologist, antiquities collector, and scholar. His treasure trove of over 2,500 pieces—including Mughal jewelry, textiles, and miniature paintings—forms the backdrop against which Horsfall’s contemporary works take center stage.
“Jaipur is a city of artisans, a place where tradition and experimentation thrive side by side,” says Arun Dhaddha, director of the museum. “Andrew’s practice mirrors that ethos—his sculptures are rooted in classical forms but speak to distinctly modern anxieties.”
At the heart of the exhibition is Horsfall’s ongoing fascination with societal constructs—the push and pull between self-interest and vulnerability, heritage and progress. The sculptor’s signature “Beggar Series” is a visceral commentary on the ethics of giving and receiving. In Ego is Hunger, a bronze figure is both victim and opportunist, thriving on the same suffering that devalues it. Meanwhile, Money Monster—a grotesque yet necessary entity—feeds on desperation while offering sustenance in return.
Religious symbolism is also dissected in Metamorphic Crux, where the traditional cross is fragmented and reassembled, suggesting faith as an evolving concept rather than a fixed truth. In contrast, Gloria, a lone figure cast in bronze, embodies resilience amid a world ravaged by human excess.
Horsfall’s “Break the Glass to Play” series presents another provocative theme: modern parenting and the illusion of protection. Seven sculptural works—crafted in bronze, silver, gold, and precious gemstones—encapsulate childhood games within rigid, unyielding forms. Each piece, with names like Autocrat, Predator, and Narcissism, critiques how over-safeguarding reshapes identity, often to the detriment of personal growth.
Pushing Boundaries in Jaipur
Horsfall’s time in Rajasthan has led to a deeper engagement with local craft traditions, evidenced in his blue pottery masks—a 19-piece series that reinterprets Jaipur’s famed ceramic technique through the lens of digital portraiture. Using 3D scanning and hand-painted finishes, the artist captures the impermanence of identity, blending heritage with cutting-edge technology. Select pieces are also available in bronze and rare stones such as Moss Agate, reinforcing the intersection of nature and innovation.
“Curating Andrew’s journey has been a fascinating process,” says Nikita Sharma, the exhibition’s curator. “His work oscillates between past and future, drawing on classical sculptural techniques while embracing digital interventions. It’s this duality that makes his practice so relevant today.”
Beyond showcasing Horsfall’s artistic evolution, the exhibition cements the Gyan Museum’s role as a custodian of artistic legacies, bridging global talent with Rajasthan’s deep-rooted artistic traditions. For collectors, cultural connoisseurs, and those seeking a thoughtful engagement with contemporary art, this retrospective is a must-see.
A SCULPTOR’S JAIPUR SOJOURN: ANDREW HORSFALL AT THE GYAN MUSEUM
The Andrew Horsfall exhibition runs by appointment only at the Gyan Museum, Jaipur, through May 30, 2025.
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