Space118 Studios has been delighted to collaborate with Sakshi Gallery to present ‘Making Space,’ an exhibition celebrating a decade of the studio space, founded by Saloni Doshi in 2009. In the words of Doshi, Director, Space118, “Making Space is for artists to reinterpret their studio term in their own way. The usage of a studio is a personal and intimate experience for artists – acting as a playground, laboratory or even sanctum, and their work is displayed on the ‘Open Studio Day’ at the culmination of their stay at Space118. Over the years, several ideas, art works, art forms, practices, techniques, new materials, experimentation and newer methods have been discovered, learnt and un-learnt at the studios. It is this new body of work that I seek to show in this curated exhibition of 33 artists as well as chart their specific journeys. It is the very essence of what a studio term brings to the mental framework of artists and the experimentation of the same, that I aim to bring out. ”
Saloni Doshi grew up in New Delhi where she went to school at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. She graduated with a double honors degree in Politics and Economics at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Communications Media at the Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai and then moved on to pursue her Master’s in Media and Communication at the London School of Economics, London. She also has a Diploma in Art Criticism and Theory (ACT) and Indian Art Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha, Mumbai.
After more than 5 years at the Times of India, where she played a pivotal role in digitizing all the print publications by creating their websites, she decided to pursue her passion and follow her heart. Saloni has been a devoted collector of art ever since she graduated from college; however, her journey into a career of art began when she interned at Osian’s Fine Art auction house for a brief period.
In 2009 she decided to develop a part of her warehouse space in South Mumbai into Artist Studios and Residencies to give to the artists’ community something that was lacking and much required in the city – space. An avid reader and photographer, Saloni also dabbled in writing for the Arts and Culture pages of TOI. She was the Founder Chairperson of the Bombay Chapter of Young FICCI Ladies Organization (YFLO) and had been the Chairperson for the London School of Economics Alumni in Bombay since 2011. In 2016 Saloni was also awarded the prestigious ArtThinkSouthAsia (ATSA) Fellowship sponsored by Khoj, British Council and the Goethe Institute.