Life is even more beautiful, whenever Delhi-based designer-artist Jenjum Gadi visits his remote village, Tirbin, in Arunachal Pradesh. Away from the hustle and bustle of the metro city, he enjoys driving along the winding pathways that meander through the rugged hills. He takes the bamboo bridges over the concrete-made bridges while crossing crystal clear brooks.
He never misses a chance to soak in solace and solitude in the serene embrace of the river, in an act of mindful slow living. Instead of gadgets, he immerses in fishing, feeding chickens and step-farming, and does not mind when the mud greases his body. In fact, he embraces the earth from his homeland.
Yet, the most cherishable part of his home visits is the time he spends in his mother’s garden where he delights in plucking homegrown fruits and vegetables. “I fondly remember climbing trees to gather guavas and oranges, and the simple joy of playing there with friends. These moments of innocence and connection with nature have deeply influenced the themes and elements of my work,” says Gadi as he opens our conversation about his upcoming debut art show ‘Apase’ which will display 16 brass-made fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, jackfruit, banana bunches, pineapples and more, in a gilded avatar.
‘Apase’ translates to ‘assorted fruits’ in the Galo language of Gadi’s native tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. His inspiration for the show is deeply rooted in his childhood in Tirbin, where nature was his const.