New Art for Land Exhibition – The Golden Light.pdf

ART FOR LAND 2026

in association with the Unity Pavilion & Acres for Auroville
invite you to our new exhibition

‘The Golden Light ‘

A Collective Artistic Tribute to the Sunlit Path for the Mother’s and Auroville’s Birthdays

 

Art for Land has been an inspiring expression of Auroville creativity at the service of the Auroville dream since its start in 2016 as a support action for Auroville’s needed land consolidation. It has become a respected showcase for the works of Auroville artists and friends of Auroville.

Our new Art for land exhibition “The Golden Light” radiates the spirit of its name, bringing together creative works across diverse media: watercolours, mandalas, yantras, collages, floating forms and luminous suspended pieces that allow the golden light to filter through their delicate mesh – as well as profound artistic interpretations of Savitri.

The artworks have all been donated for raising funds for Auroville’s land through the Acres for Auroville land campaign. We warmly thank all the participating artists for their generous solidarity! Works can be viewed and bought at the Unity Pavilion or online at artforland.in

Opening during this special month of The Mother’s birthday, the exhibition honours her and Sri Aurobindo’s vision. It is a collective offering, connecting the artists’ inner journeys with the shared aspiration of us all for a more conscious and harmonious world.

The exhibition is inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s sonnet of the same name. In this luminous poem, Sri Aurobindo describes the descent of a golden light into the layers of the being. This golden light is the radiance of consciousness and awakening. The Mother described this awakening as walking the “sunlit path”. This Light is the theme that has inspired the participating artists.

 

 

The exhibition features the works of ten artists – eight from Auroville and two from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram: Dilip Patel, Marie-Claire Barsotti, Mayaura, OK Upcycling, Sonia Yeo, Soham, Pierre Legrand, Tim Wrey, Uttama Dhandhania, and Vivechana They each explore light not only as colour or aesthetic effect, but as a presence: the spark within matter, the radiance within the heart. Their diverse media and approaches converge in a shared aspiration: to embody the golden descent in form, texture, movement, and space.

More than just an exhibition for aesthetic appreciation, The Golden Light is an invitation – to walk the sunlit path together, and to allow Light to shape Auroville’s collective becoming. When created consciously, art becomes a force of transformation.

We thank all of the participating artists for their contributions and generosity!

Here is a brief tour of some of the exhibition’s highlights – it starts with the light of unity:

Weaving the community fabric by Marie-Claire opens the exhibition, featuring woven fragments of damaged paintings interlaced with luminous golden accents:

 

Sonia’s resin-over-collage collection, inspired by her time in Auroville, reflects how light moves through her and takes form in her work:

 

Entering into the Hall of Peace, the exhibition unfolds into a contemplative spiritual space with Uttama’s calligraphic renderings of the Mother’s words in soft, meditative hues that complement the strong, luminous suspended works of Pierre Legrand, alongside the intricate mandalas and yantras of Vivechana:

 

The OK Upcycling Studio presents an installation created from discarded materials – The Twelve Qualities geckos and The Golden Light – crafted entirely from upcycled elements:

 

Back in the Main Hall are Mayaura’s works interpreting themes from Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri along with reflective texts – a special offering exclusively for this exhibition:

 

We honor the late Soham with a selection of his inspired works, including his mandalas:

 

Dilip Patel’s renowned watercolour paintings of lotuses and birds, along with a few special collage works incorporating remnants of The Mother’s saree fabric, adorn the next area:

 

Marie-Claire’s recent works are next – based on the 4 aspects of The Mother: Mahasaraswati, Mahalakshmi, Maheswari, Mahakali. Using fragments from her cherished spiritual books damaged by termites, she transforms decay into renewal and beauty:

 

Tim Wrey’s montage hangings and other works by Pierre Legrand of his ‘alphabet’ and ‘little things’ are exhibited throughout the Unity Pavilion.

The Opening event on February 15th was accompanied by moving lyrical music from different international sources by Slava along with Sergey. We warmly thank them both for the beautiful atmosphere they created:

 

A subsequent event was the Artists High Tea held the next week on February 22nd, which was a warm and beautiful sharing on the creative impulse and aspiration!

For both events, we thank the UPAV team for the delicious snacks and refreshments.

 

Warm appreciation goes to Sonia Yeo, Artist & Photographer at Auroville Media Interface,

for the Exhibition photos.

 

About the Artists:

Dilip Patel is an architect and artist based at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry who works across art, design, and architecture. He is renowned for his paintings of lotuses and now incorporates remnants of The Mother’s sarees in his works.

Marie-Claire Barsotti is a French Aurovilian and a multi-disciplinary creator specializing in gold details, Marie-Claire embraces creativity in all forms as a joyful path to freedom, self-revelation, and Oneness.

Mayaura is an Auroville artist from France deeply engaged with Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri, Her work has been produced and published by a renowned fine-art printer in France with special care that honours both the craft and the spirit of the subject.

Ok Upcycling Studio in Auroville works to address the waste problem at a local level. By re-using discarded materials, the team creates functional and aesthetic objects, giving them a new purpose with style and practicality, and an unmatched sense of creativity,

Pierre Legrand began his creative journey after meeting the Mother in 1968. He developed a unique coded script exploring cellular structures, space, and porosity across paintings, sculpture, installations, and music, and has exhibited internationally.

Sonia Yeo is an artist, photographer, and art therapist whose intuitive practice arises from deep inner exploration and her response to an inner light. Her resin-over-collage collection reflects how that light moves through her and takes form in her work.

Tim Wrey does not see himself as a formal artist, but creates from inspiration. Alongside his work in garden construction and maintenance for Aurelec, he crafts intricate mobiles, and has previously exhibited outdoor and installation works in Auroville.

Uttama D is an artist residing at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, whose works are inspired by the words and teachings of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.

Vivechana Saraf is the founder of Soulscapes, an artist and entrepreneur who is passionate about sacred symbology, sacred geometry, philosophy and systems that explore universal principles and truths. Her intention is to manifest beauty and light in daily living.

We honor our now-departed Soham, a long-time Aurovilian, who brought deep inner experience to his mandala paintings. Immersed in a culture of creativity and inner exploration, he worked with a strong understanding of symbolism and intricate design.

 

Most works by these featured artists and by the other ART FOR LAND artists shown on our site are 
available for purchase at the Unity Pavilion and through the website
https://www.artforland.in

 

Proceeds go exclusively for land consolidation and protection via
the Acres for Auroville land campaign. 

 

We warmly thank you for your interest, encouragement, and support!

Jaya, Priya, and Mandakini for Art for Land & Acres for Auroville

 

 

Happy Birthday Auroville!