Bottles, fish, identity: Vandana Sudhir’s solo exhibition brings global stories to Abu Dhabi

For Vandana Sudhir, the wife of Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir, art has always been less about perfection and more about what the imagination dares to reveal.

During an interview with Gulf News, she recalled how her love for art began at the age of four as she flipped through a book of abstract art. “I’d get lost in the colours, the shapes, and how something so simple could feel so alive.”

Another big moment came soon after.

“I was barely five, I drew what I thought a rainy day looked like – puddles, splashes, all in grey tones. Compared to the colourful umbrella scenes the older kids made, I felt so out of place. But to my surprise, I won second prize,” she said. “Art isn’t just about bright colours or perfect forms – it’s about imagination and how you express your ideas.”
That instinct for creativity, nurtured through a childhood steeped in books, fabrics, and handmade crafts, now finds its most visible expression in ‘Currents: Journeys in Motion’, her debut solo exhibition opening at the Etihad Modern Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen from September 10 to 15.

Her nomadic life began in childhood with education across India and a stint in Libya as a young adult. Later, as a diplomatic spouse, relocations across 10 countries added fresh layers to her artistic language.
“The exhibition, Currents: Narratives in Motion, explores identity as a fluid, dynamic process, ever shaped by memory, movement, and the deep currents of human connection. It is rooted in my journey across 10 countries.”

At the heart of the exhibition is a striking installation of upcycled bottles forming a school of fish. Her choice of bottles and fish draws from her time in the Maldives, where Sunjay Sudhir served as India’s High Commissioner from 2019 to 2021.

“When we lived in the Maldives, water was everywhere,” she said.
“The fish represent beauty in diversity, and how we can all move along our unique life journeys peacefully if we honour and celebrate our differences,” the sustainable artist noted.

The UAE, too, has left its imprint on her canvas. Works such as 'Anchored', featuring the late Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and 'Mother of the Nation', inspired by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, honour both leaders and the nation’s cultural heritage.

“Both pieces were made with entirely upcycled materials, underscoring this nation’s ability to create something beautiful from the resources, culture, and people that chose to make this their home,” Vandana said, pointing out that sustainability is not just a technique but a philosophy.

While the Ambassador concludes his term this month, Vandana has long balanced roles as a diplomat’s spouse, community organiser, educator, and artist. She has worked for children of determination, led the Spouses of Ambassadors’ Group, and organised art workshops with senior citizens.
As she prepares for her first solo exhibition, curated by Dr Devisree S, Raisa Mariam Rajan, and her daughter Saumya, Vandana calls the project a collaborative one. “Their combined perspectives have allowed my work to be seen in ways I hadn’t fully imagined on my own.”

Presented in honour of the UAE’s Year of Community, the free-to-attend exhibition features 25 multimedia artworks exploring themes of transition, belonging, and transformation. It culminates in an immersive, ocean-inspired space where visitors are invited to sit, reflect, and contribute a written reflection inside a glass bottle.

“Currents: Journeys in Motion aims to evoke a sense of community for those who find themselves in flux, moving through places and shifting identities,” Vandana said. “It speaks to anyone navigating the complexities of belonging, particularly within global, multicultural environments.”