Myth is what ties them together, and this self curated exhibition at Art Musings is a good way to look at three generations of some of India’s most significant women artists. “The title of the show, Excavation: Memory/Myth/Membrane evolved through a dialogue with Jayashree. She said that my work comes from a sense of excavation while Reena’s work reminded her of a membrane. Her works, she said, are about memories. Myth is common to all our paintings and hence the title of the show,” says the 61-year-old Malani.

She adds, “Working with women collapses the ego where we’re happy to contribute without tall claims that characterise a masculine approach,” she says. “That we are women is not coincidental but it’s not a ‘Bombay Boys’ kind of show. It’s a shared sensibility,” adds the 34-year-old Saini who belongs to a generation that faces less discrimination and the ethos is far more global, where labels are no longer needed. Saini works with a wide range of subjects and uses craft-oriented material woven into her concepts that Malani finds very thought provoking. “Nalini’s work is something I have looked at since art school; she is iconic and important for my development as a painter since J J School was heavily oriented towards abstract art. My association with Jayashree has not been as long but I’ve been stimulated by her layered, semi-architectural works, there is always mystery to discover,” says Saini.

Chakravarty too has known Malani since her days as an MA student in Baroda. “I admire her work so much that when she approached me for the show I said yes at once. I also reacted strongly to Reena’s work, Saline (a sculptural piece), since it talks about the most basic element that makes up a human being while delving into myth. My works also deal with the ecological balance of nature so there is a dialogue between our works,” says Chakravarty, eager to see the works assembled in the same gallery. “Let’s see what dialogues the paintings will throw up, when seen together.”

The three artists have also shown at the Chicago Cultural Centre in July 2007, and Saini and Nalini spent time exploring the city while they interacted with Jayashree’s work, an elaborate paper installation.