DANCING HANDS

From the pulpy, comic-book images of Charmingly Beautiful (GE217) to the ironic and self-referential Timespective (GE216), Manish Arora’s work for Swatch displays his inimitable exuberance, love of colour and an irresistibly playful spirit. The former captures the essence of Bollywood romance, with a dial framed by chilli-pepper red and inked with cool blues and greens. Timespective is a mixed-print mashup of images of timepieces, clocks and watches in which Arora’s signature palette references light-faded magazines and pop images. His sophisticated, intelligent print unfolds into multiple layers and dimensions—like modern, post-pop time itself. Huge in All (YNG102) presents a big, riotous pattern of swirls and hearts, From Within (YUG101G) a vampish look, while Dancing Hands (SUPP101) with its stylised gestures, Giant Shimmer (YOG101G) with its brash humour and the over-the-top Over Charm (SFM110G) furnish further evidence of Manish Arora’s astonishing creativity.