A peek at our world from someone else’s eyes can reveal the beauty in our surroundings and all those things that we take for granted. The enthusiasm in artist Nicolo Strippoli, or “Tarshito” (the name given to him by Osho Rajneesh), is unmistakable. An avid Indophile, a retrospective of his works Circle of Making I shows his love for India and the tireless work he has done alongwith Indian artisans and craftsmen.
Talking about his experiences here and his love for the country, Tarshito says, “I owe my gratitude to India for making me discover spirituality in daily life, something I was unaware of. 1979 was my first time in India and my first tryst with expanding my vision on exploring the mystery. The meeting with Osho, a new life with a new Sanskrit name ‘Tarshito’ — a thirst for the divine, a walk towards a conscious rebirth, this thirst has grown ever stronger for the need to blend the material with the spirit, through art, in the search of the divine.”
A special feature of the exhibition is an Ambassador car painted by Tarshito that caught the fascination of many anxious onlookers, as Tarshito said, “The Ambassador car is a symbol of a certain India with its body painted with the new continents without borders — a vehicle that while travelling through planet earth, sows seeds of peace and union.” The exhibition signifies that the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale has crossed the boundaries of Italy and is being celebrated at 89 Italian Cultural Centres in different countries.
The exhibition is on at the Italian Cultural Centre, Chanakyapuri, till November 27.