Echoes of Green: Gagan Singh's Sculptures Unearth Delhi's Vanishing Gardens

Have you ever walked through a bustling city street and caught a glimpse of an old tree, perhaps standing alone amidst towering concrete, and wondered about the green world that once thrived there? Delhi, a city steeped in history and relentless change, provides endless such moments. It’s this very sentiment, this quiet longing for what was, that artist Gagan Singh captures so powerfully in his latest sculpture show, aptly titled 'Bagh-e-Bahar,' at Gallery Espace.

Singh, known for his deep engagement with Delhi's evolving landscape and historical layers, doesn’t just show us what’s gone; he invites us into a meditative space where the memory of these vanished gardens can breathe again. His primary inspiration for this particular body of work comes from a poignant loss: the historic Mughal garden of Bagh-e-Bahar near Kashmiri Gate, a place once brimming with life and verdure, now swallowed whole by the utilitarian concrete expanse of a bus stand. It’s a stark, almost brutal transformation, isn't it?

His sculptures are, in a way, archaeological digs into urban memory. Crafted from a fascinating mix of papier-mâché, wood, and even discarded materials, they don't recreate the gardens literally. Instead, Singh offers fragments – the curve of a root system reaching out, a lone seed pod, or the intricate veins of a leaf – all rendered with a raw, almost visceral honesty. These aren't pristine garden scenes; they're echoes, whispers of what used to be, hinting at the intricate "architecture of nature" that’s slowly being dismantled around us.

What makes Singh's work so compelling is its gentle melancholy. There's no angry protest, but rather a quiet lament, a recognition of the inevitable march of progress, yet a firm insistence on remembering what we lose along the way. His pieces often play with scale, making the seemingly small details of nature feel monumental, forcing us to pause and truly look at the beauty and complexity of a mere root or branch. It's a subtle plea, you could say, to acknowledge the rich natural heritage that's steadily giving way to urbanization.

Drawing on influences that trace back to his childhood, perhaps even from his architect father, Singh understands the bones of structures, both man-made and natural. He sees the underlying design in a tree just as clearly as in a building. Through 'Bagh-e-Bahar,' he doesn't just display art; he opens a conversation about urban identity, environmental change, and the persistent human need for green spaces. It's a timely reminder, especially for us living in rapidly expanding cities, to appreciate the delicate balance between development and the invaluable gift of nature, before those gardens become nothing more than a distant, sculptured memory.