Curator, critic and art researcher, Uma Nair has been working in the field of art for more than 30 years. She is a self-trained curator who learnt from observing exhibitions in the USA and through cultivating an eye for art. She has the background of a retired English teacher. She has written prolifically as an art critic for many national newspapers and has penned more than a 100 art catalogues. She has curated numerous exhibitions for several prestigious institutions and masters, including Lalit Kala Akademi, Terra Natura, Bihar Museum, S. H. Raza, and Jyoti Bhatt.
Her urge to curate informative and challenging shows can be seen throughout her years as an art professional. Her innovate and bold design layouts have brought her a lot of recognition. Some of the unusual and delightful motifs that Uma has experimented with in her shows include drawing direct parallels between finished sculptures and the artist’s sketches, curating a collection as an ode to trees, and having an enormous image of the artist working on a sculpture with exhibition text.
In a conversation with Prerna SM Jain, Uma Nair had this to say:
How did your tryst with art begin?
On a visit to America 31 years ago, my brother-in-law took me to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I saw an exhibition that fascinated me. I did some research and when I came back, I started writing for the Economic Times, under one of the greatest editors, Sadanand Menon, who taught me how to look at art/ photography/ sculpture/ ceramics.
How would you define your role as an art curator?
A curator does different things according to circumstances. When you curate a solo show like I did for Arun Pandit, a National Award winner whom I discovered in Calcutta, you place the artist in a historical context to show his evolution. When you curate a show of a master like Jyoti Bhatt (Bihar Museum Patna) or Prodosh Dasgupta (Akar Prakar Delhi) you present them as a journey of sensibilities.
What have been some of the most significant milestones in your journey?
My most historic shows have been for the Lalit Kala Akademi. I curated Moderns in 2007 that was sent abroad. It was a show from the Lalit Kala Collection. Then I curated Earth Songs -Tribal Art from the LKA Collection and last year, Gandhi at 150. It’s an honour to curate shows of national importance, especially when you are dealing with the history of a nation built on social-political developments. Of course, institutions must trust you for your professionalism and sense of history and execution.
What is your work process when you curate an exhibition/ collection?
When I curate an exhibition, I first sit down with all that I have been given or have to collect, as in Vriksha, a show that celebrated trees. If I am given the work, then research and notes become the first part of the execution. For Vriksha (India International Centre) I requested artists for prints, paintings, sculptures and photographs. I was deeply honoured when I was asked to take it to the historic Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal.
Which is the most memorable show that you have curated and why?
My most memorable show has been Manushyaaur Prakriti – original intaglios by Jyoti Bhatt at Bihar Museum in Patna. It had 83 intaglios from 4 collectors, the most prestigious being Uttarayan in Vadodara. The Bihar Museum is the country’s best architectural marvel. It’s an honour to curate an exhibition there. And Jyoti Bhatt is a rare modern master who has worked on intaglios for 60 years. I had my catalogue specially designed by Monika Khanna Gulati of Skyblue Design.
As a curator, what are some of the biggest obstacles in your profession that you encounter?
I haven’t faced any obstacles because I am very cautious about who or what I’m curating. It’s not an exercise for making money. It’s about hard work and perseverance and building faith in the art community. When I curated Prodosh Das Gupta, my greatest compliment came from sculptors all over India who had caught trains/ buses/ flights just to come and observe and study my show. They said it was a lesson in learning about a master. It had 40 years of work by Das Gupta who was also the Director/ Curator of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.
You have reviewed shows in the USA as well as in India. What are the differences or similarities that you observed?
Shows in the USA are about professionalism in design and history and the honour of showing an international master. I’ll never forget Picasso and Rothko at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, both epic shows of great works and experience. Infrastructure for the arts is important and we learn from that.To see Picasso at NGA and then at Metropolitan Museum New York the following summer is a treat for someone who wants to know how to design the same subject in two different cities.
You have penned over 100 catalogues, what motivates your desire to write about art?
I write about art every day. During the lockdown I miss my space in The Hindu’s Friday Review, so I have been doing features on masters and discovering great artists on Facebook. As long as there are discerning readers, critics will always write. When you write you want to do justice to what you are doing. I’m currently writing a catalogue for a show in Los Angeles of an artist called Bharat Dalal who painted 6 paintings inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. It’s a lot of work but it’s what keeps you living. When I see a work of art that stirs me, I must write.
Which is the most memorable compliment that you have ever received?
When the great master Tyeb Mehta told me: Uma, I like to read what you write in The Economic Times. This was 2007 when I interviewed him at his home in Mumbai.
What is your advice to aspiring curators?
You have to be honest to your trade.You must curate only if you truly love what you are doing. Curation cannot happen without research and writing. You must love what you are doing. It’s a long run, it is hard, but it’s great to garner trust and admiration.
Who is your favourite artist and why?
My favourite artists are Tyeb Mehta and Sayed Haider Raza. Tyeb was like God. His philosophy stemmed from experience and reading. His love for the metaphor was fascinating. I called him mandarin of the metaphor. Raza was a handsome gentle genius. He was a man of many seasons and secular beliefs. His love for Kabir was a beautiful lesson for all of us. He had a unique way of looking at life. Imagine saying: You must listen with your eyes!

Prerna SM Jain