More than three decades ago, in 1990, a young boy migrated with his family from Pakistan to India. The Maheshwari family, originally from Karachi, laid down their roots in Jaipur, and their four-generations-old textiles business flourished in the western state of Rajasthan.
The young boy, Vinesh, however, would choose to forge his own path; he went on to become a first-generation jeweller in the Maheshwari family, founding Mireya Jewels and eventually gaining, as clients and well-wishers, the crème de la crème of the American elite — including Susie Tompkins Buell, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Cindy Crawford, Roma Downey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Vinesh Kumar Maheshwari (left) and Kundan Lal Verma stand among their creations at the special jewellery exhibit at the preview of CIMA’s Art in Life
Twenty years ago, Vinesh met the man with whose vision he would feel a kinship — Kundan Lal Verma, the master craftsman who hails from a family that has specialised in temple jewellery for three generations.
And thus was born an artistic bond unlike any other — a collaboration out of which emerged a range of jewellery fit for the gods. Many of the pieces from the collection were part of the star exhibit this year at the preview of Art in Life, CIMA Gallery’s highly-anticipated annual lifestyle exhibition that features the best of Indian craftsmanship, from it dress materials, sculptures, jewellery, bags, accessories, home decor and tribal art to sarees crafted by master weavers.
Jewellers Kundan Lal Verma and Vinesh Kumar Maheshwari, theatre artist Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee and Ladies Study Group president Minnie Juneja look on as CIMA’s chief administrator (right) Pratiti Basu Sarkar welcomes guests to the preview of Art in Life
“When I learnt that we were coming to Kolkata to showcase our jewellery, especially the temple jewellery so beautifully visualised and created by Kundan Lal ji, I saw it as an opportunity to highlight India’s rich history of ornaments, gems and art,” said Vinesh. He also described the veteran jeweller as “one of India’s best designers of temple adornments” whose piety and artistic skill go hand in hand. Kundan Lal, it so happens, is a longtime devotee and visitor of the Karni Mata temple in Deshnok, Rajasthan; in fact, as Vinesh revealed, “Kundan Lal ji created the chhatr for the goddess with 100-carat diamonds.”
The preview also featured a fascinating discussion helmed by the multi-faceted artist Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee, who not only asked the master jewellers about their exquisite creations but also linked the history and art of jewellery with questions of masculinity, gender fluidity and the prevalence of patriarchal practices. The session was introduced by the chief administrator of CIMA, Pratiti Basu Sarkar, who set the tone for Art in Life 2024 when she said, “Be it high art or ‘poor craft’, at CIMA, it is all equal, it is all art.”
Temple-inspired necklaces by Mireya Jewels, made with precious gems and displayed recently at CIMA
Indeed, the representation of “all of India” is what Art in Life is all about, and one of the facets of the exhibition that the director of CIMA, Rakhi Sarkar, strives to uphold every year. “As always, we have taken great care in curating Art in Life this year, and bringing the best of the best from India’s states to you, be it Rajasthan or Bengal,” she said. “We are so proud to have an institution like Kundan Lal Verma with us, as well as Vinesh Kumar Maheshwari, whose journey is both fascinating and remarkable.”
A gold necklace shaped in the form of the Lord Ganesh, encrusted with emeralds, diamonds and rubies and designed by Kundan Lal Verma
Rakhi Sarkar talks about Art in Life to the audience
“In my years of designing jewellery, I have learnt something every day, and continue to do so,” said Vinesh. “Jewellery making is not just an art, it’s also an area of deep study — you discover something new all the time.” And what about Kundal Lal? “His creative vision is stunning,” says Vinesh, before the senior jewellery designer chimes in. “If anyone comes to me with an idea,” he says with a smile, “it is my promise that their vision will be brought to life, and it will be hatke — unlike anything else!”
The Mireya Jewels preview exhibit concluded on September 9; Art in Life is on at CIMA Gallery till October 9, from 11 am to 8 pm daily