New Delhi is hosting a heart-warming solo exhibition, which is illuminated by a profound and subtle examination of perception. These days, where exhibitions seek more spectacle, Shibu Natesan’s Mirror Man, Mirror Me acts quite the opposite by nudging towards a contemplative retreat while analyzing his work. Presented by Art Alive Gallery and on view until 20 November 2025, the solo show brings together a decade of the artist’s watercolour practice, ranging across landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. All these artworks are carefully displayed in a soft-focus and sensitive environment, making it more appealing to the eyes.
The Theme
The thematic core of the exhibition is the symbiotic relationship between the observer and the observed through a dynamic interplay between what’s intrinsic to the internal world and the external reality. This combination is best encapsulated through the well-curated sequential display of artworks, which not only engages the viewers but also actively interacts with them. Natesan does not just etch what he perceives on the outside; he paints how the very act of perception affects the consciousness of people. These images might appear stationary, but are more like a space where the viewers subtly confront their own presence. The exhibition commenced with a dialogue between Natesan and art historian Parul Dave Mukherji on October 8, 2025. This stands as a testament to painterly sensitivity in a fast-paced world.
A calm, rigorous gaze
Natesan’s visual language is highly intimate and looks for a quiet and introspective vision. Across the walls of the gallery, watercolour is used for sustained attention. The technique he uses holds back as much as it reveals; his brushstrokes are more suggestive than insistent. The result is work that enhances the hush of late afternoon and makes the visitors find themselves in the gesture of a tilted head, lost in thought. These paintings reward the patience of the viewer, as looking long enough familiarizes the shifts in the paintings into a self-reflecting phenomenon.
Self, society, and the act of seeing
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The very title of the exhibition, Mirror Man, Mirror Me, displays a trajectory toward mutual reciprocity. The artist’s rudimentary focus lies in settling the relationship between portraits that interpret themselves as a rendezvous, landscapes that act as companions to memory, and still lifes that enhance self-reflection. The elements of his artworks are very porous; rather than simply making things more dramatic, the subject and reflector often meet at a scene where both are externally facing but internally together. This psychological juxtaposition can be traced through the displayed artworks, which makes the mental quotient expand and absorb more inquisitive waves from the creative space.
Mr. Shibu entraps the banalities of everyday existence like a cluttered corner, a sun-drenched street, a contemplative gaze and presents them through extremely nuanced intensity. The watercolour’s fluidity allows him to achieve a ubiquitous luminosity that imitates memories or moments of self-awareness. By combining technique and introspection, he strips away from noise and focuses the viewer’s attention on the subtle texture of being. The fluidity of his techniques imparts that the dialogue between the inner world and outer reality is constant and all-encompassing. Thus, his work functions as a psychological mirror, a concept that deepens the appreciation for the subtle layers in each painting.
Essential Elements of the Exhibition
| Exhibition Details | Description |
|---|---|
| Exhibition Title | Mirror Man, Mirror Me |
| Artist | Shibu Natesan |
| Venue & City | Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi |
| Medium | Watercolour |
| On View Until | November 20, 2025 |
| Central Themes | Self-reflection, perception, intimacy, the inner and outer worlds, and light as emotion. |
Key highlights
- Preview and opening dialogue with Parul Dave-Mukherji held on 8 October, enriching the exhibition’s interpretive frame.
- Works span roughly a decade, offering a coherent but non-linear survey of Natesan’s artistic concerns.
- Dominant motifs include solitary figures, domestic interiors, and subtle landscape fragments.
- Watercolour is used experimentally; layers, bleeds, and negative space generate atmosphere.
- The exhibition’s tone contrasts with the contemporary tendency toward immersive or multimedia installations, insisting on quiet, close-looking.
Opinion and Assessment
“Mirror Man, Mirror Me” is, unequivocally, an exhibition that focuses on an indispensable viewing experience. In a contemporary art landscape often dominated by grand statements, it poses a counterweight to the dazzling culture. His watercolours demand a more humane perception to be tamed down to a graspable level of consumption. They reward the viewer not with immediate shock but with deep, simmering resonance. For anyone seeking art that truly holds a mirror to the soul, this exhibition at Art Alive Gallery is an unmissable one.
