Stepping into Mumbai-based artist Rithika Merchant’s universe feels akin to wandering through an ancient, forgotten codex where the boundaries between humanity, nature, and the cosmos dissolve entirely. In her captivating and deeply surreal tableaux, mythological beings converse effortlessly with flora and fauna across dream-like, meticulously rendered realms. Insects, glittering stars, metaphysical tendrils, and watchful, all-seeing eyes populate her compositions, frequently framing human bodies equipped with the sharp, piercing heads of raptors.
This strange yet undeniably alluring symmetry, a hallmark of Merchant’s artistic vocabulary, gestures toward hidden, esoteric rituals and silent communions with the natural world. Each speculative, fable-like narrative she constructs serves as a mirror to contemporary realities, tapping directly into collective anxieties surrounding environmental degradation while simultaneously offering a profound, fragile hope for ecological and spiritual healing.
These themes coalesce powerfully in Merchant’s vibrant new body of work, which forms the centerpiece of her solo exhibition, The Dreaming Realm, currently on view at Galerie LJ in Paris. Centered squarely on hybrid creatures and an overarching sense of the sacred, the exhibition harnesses raw elemental phenomena—earth, plants, fire, water, and the celestial expanse of the stars—to emphasize both the volatile fragility and the enduring strength of the natural order.
Within these sweeping vistas, viewers are confronted with dramatic scenes of floods and volcanic eruptions. Yet, rather than descending into pure chaos, these cataclysmic events are met by individuals participating in enigmatic, synchronized activities and solemn ceremonies. Through these quiet, shared actions, Merchant’s subjects exemplify a profound sense of cooperation and unbreakable determination in the face of planetary upheaval.
The conceptual architecture of The Dreaming Realm is anchored by a rich tapestry of historical, theoretical, and iconographic references. According to Galerie LJ, the artist draws notably on the philosophical notion of empirical experience rooted strictly in sensory perception. Furthermore, she engages with the ancient Greek concept of Kairos—a term denoting the opportune, critical, or supreme moment—to fundamentally question the rigid, linear subjectivity of time.
Complementing these temporal and philosophical inquiries is Merchant’s extensive research into the Beguines of the Middle Ages. The Beguines were a remarkably unique, historical lay community composed of financially independent Christian women who lived semi-monastic lives and occasionally practiced daring forms of mysticism. Operating outside the traditional patriarchal structures of both the church and marriage, these women forged autonomous communities centered on mutual aid and spiritual devotion—some of which miraculously persist in pockets of Western Europe to this day. This historical legacy of female autonomy, shared labor, and mysticism provides a vital conceptual undercurrent for Merchant’s exploration of collective resilience.
Throughout the exhibition, Merchant deploys a lexicon of symbolic imagery tied directly to consciousness, transformation, and interspecies connectivity. The delicate luna moth, for instance, is invoked to represent the hidden power of intuition and the necessary, often painful transitions of life and nature. Meanwhile, ravens make frequent appearances, carrying their traditional symbolic weight as keepers of wisdom, forecasters of change, and mystical bridges connecting earthly existence to unseen realms.
This emphasis on communality forms the beating conceptual nucleus of Merchant’s intricate paintings. It is an idea most clearly articulated in her ongoing, multi-faceted series titled Interspecies Care. Galerie LJ notes that this specific body of work focuses intensely on social organization, deep interdependence, reciprocal relationships between diverse species, and the vital transmission of knowledge across boundaries that traditionally separate humans from the rest of the natural world. By visualizing these alternative frameworks of coexistence, Merchant’s art acts as a visual manifesto for planetary stewardship.
The Dreaming Realm remains open to the public through November 21 in Paris, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in its symmetric visions of ecological reverence and mythic survival. Those unable to experience the exhibition in person can explore additional works, installation views, and details of Merchant’s creative process by visiting her official website or following her updates on Instagram.
