It’s a mistake to explain abstraction. It’s a bigger one to leave it untouched.
Shivani Garg’s abstract language is built from tension—between the flowing and the fixed, the organic and the engineered. Her forms move between loose shapes, structured grids, and textured fragments. But what anchors it all is the idea of freedom. She’s said this in every conversation. And it shows.
Urbanisation 14 stands apart. Less busy, more held. Grey meticulously textured surfaces carry depth without heaviness. A few dark contrasty areas punctuate the calm. Dabs of blue break the monotony and add pulse. There are linear elements—just enough to suggest structure, but not so much that they cage it.
The format is round. That’s rare. And Shivani uses it to full effect. It pulls the composition inward, removes hierarchy, and makes the viewer move around it with more attention. It softens the rigidity of the theme and opens up the reading.
It’s as if parts of a system are floating—close, but not yet aligned. Like a city under construction or a life mid-thought.
For a series built around urbanisation, this work brings a rare sense of balance. It doesn’t scream. It suggests. This is abstraction with awareness. A visual field shaped by environmental concerns but driven by feeling, not commentary.
Collectors looking for serious abstraction from India—without noise, without trend—should pause here. This is Shivani’s most refined work yet. Strong, quiet, intelligent.
It deserves to be seen, and lived with.