HASHIYA: THE MARGIN

Curated by: Mamta Singhania

Concept: Prof. Kavita Singh

Texts: Prof. B. N. Goswamy & Prof. Kavita Singh

Foreword: Mamta Singhania

Publication Design: Reha Sodhi

“Margin, edge, border: these clearly then, are the broad areas to which things point when we come upon the term hashiya, even though between them there are, or can be, distinctions, subtle differences. What is an ‘inner margin’ to be called as opposed to the ‘outer margin’? Does ‘edge’ lie necessarily outside of the ‘margin’, but adjacent to it, on an album page? Is it fair to designate ‘border’ strictly as something that the artist himself conceived and made a part of his painting? Fine distinctions, and ambiguities remain. Ordinarily a margin – floral, decorative, and at times figurative, – surrounds a painting which is the main object, but this can change…. One needs to look at the matter from different angles and, depending upon how or what we see, diverse statements can be made.”