Namrata Shroff Curates A Passion Blossoms: A Rare Showcase of 100-Year-Old Artist and Grandmother Nalini Mehta
January, 2026:
Curated by interior designer and curator Namrata Shroff, A Passion Blossoms is a rare and deeply immersive art showcase celebrating the life, legacy, and ongoing practice of her grandmother, centenarian artist Nalini Mehta. At 100 years old, Nalini Mehta remains a singular presence in Indian art—widely regarded as the only artist known to practice the rare and technically demanding technique of internal carving in acrylic at such an advanced level.
Shaped by decades of experimentation, discipline, and intuition, Nalini Mehta’s practice has evolved into an art form that cannot be replicated, taught, or industrialised. For her, art has always been sādhanā—a lifelong, meditative discipline rooted in patience, devotion, and daily practice. After a fourteen-year hiatus, A Passion Blossoms marks her return to public view through a showcase that moves beyond display, offering an intimate encounter with process, philosophy, and lived creativity.
Working entirely from the reverse side of solid acrylic using a high-speed drill operating at up to 50,000 RPM, Nalini Mehta sculpts intricate forms to maximum depth without ever piercing the surface. Flowers, birds, and organic elements appear suspended within the acrylic—frozen yet vibrantly alive. To Nalini, a piece of acrylic is a precious crystal; a single incision opens up a universe of possibility. Challenges, in her practice, have always been opportunities for creation.
Nature—particularly flowers—remains her abiding muse, and this relationship finds renewed expression through NINI Collab: Lab, a dedicated section of the showcase. Here, Nalini Mehta extends her rare artistic language beyond the artwork—transforming a lifetime of mastery into objects meant to be lived with. Rooted in her belief that “Art is not an object. It is a way of living,” NINI translates her internal carvings into functional art—furniture, scarves, twillies, books, prints, puzzles, and everyday pieces inspired by her visual universe.
A central narrative within the showcase is the Nini x Botanist collaboration, where visitors are invited to touch, feel, and smell the flowers that have inspired Nalini Mehta’s work—before encountering their eternal counterparts rendered in acrylic. The dialogue between the ephemeral and the enduring becomes a recurring theme throughout the showcase.
The art showcase also foregrounds process and perseverance through landmark works such as A Bowl Full of Roses (1963)—an extraordinary piece composed of 500 roses and created over nearly two years. During its making, Nalini Mehta suffered a fractured arm caused by the physical demands of carving the heavy acrylic. Undeterred, she continued her work, making the piece a testament to resilience and devotion. Today, it remains a treasured family heirloom.
Visitors encounter a Wall of Fame documenting national recognition, including an award presented by the President of India and a birthday message from the Prime Minister of India—public acknowledgements of a practice that has always remained inwardly anchored.
Immersion deepens through The Maze, a mirrored installation conceived by Namrata Shroff as a way to step inside Nalini Mehta’s visual universe. Selected artworks multiply infinitely within reflective surfaces, allowing viewers to move through, discover, and become part of the work itself.
The showcase further reveals the material reality of Nalini Mehta’s practice through the Tool Table, displaying her Dremel drill, acrylic cut-outs, and working fragments—inviting tactile engagement with the instruments behind the art. An illuminated installation, the Endless Amazon Podium, evokes a flowing garden of light and form.
Another contemplative pause arrives through The Interlude—a space devoted to Nalini Mehta’s favourite works, her pristine white carvings, often referred to as the cloud dancers. Here, these ethereal forms shyly interact with vivid hues across printed veils, creating a gentle dialogue between stillness and colour, restraint and exuberance.
Held at The Pond Room, Great Eastern Mills, Bombay, A Passion Blossoms is envisioned as a contemplative journey—one that invites viewers to slow down, linger, and engage with art not as spectacle, but as practice.
More than an art show, A Passion Blossoms is an intergenerational tribute, a meditation on time, and a celebration of creative faith. At 100, Nalini Mehta’s art does not conclude—it continues to bloom.
Art Show Details
Showcase: A Passion Blossoms
Dates: 31st January 2026
Time: 12:00 – 9:00pm
Venue: The Pond Room, Great Eastern Mills, Bombay
About the Curator
Namrata Shroff is an interior designer and curator whose work is rooted in spatial storytelling, material sensitivity, and cultural narrative. Through A Passion Blossoms, she brings an intimate curatorial lens shaped by lineage, memory, and deep personal connection—creating a showcase that bridges art, design, and lived heritage.
About the Artist
Nalini Mehta is a centenarian Indian artist and a pioneer of the rare art of internal carving in acrylic. With a creative practice spanning over eight decades, her work is grounded in discipline, precision, and spiritual devotion. Regarded as a Living Heritage Artist of India, her legacy lies not only in her artworks but in her lifelong sādhanā—a testament to creativity as a way of living.
