redrawing boundaries with Tarshito N. Stippoli, an Italian artist

Tarshito N. Stippoli, an Italian artist, is a proponent of borderlessness. In his cosmos, love, creativity, and connection are the universal threads that bind the whole planet into one large family. His cross-cultural creative activity is based on this attitude, which celebrates variety, togetherness, and teamwork.

His most recent solo show, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” is a testament to his ongoing effort to reinterpret and rewrite the map of the world. It is now on display at the Crafts Museum in Delhi. It features Tarshito’s collaborative works with artists of over 25 traditional Indian art forms, such as kantha (quilted embroidery), pattachitra (cloth-based scroll painting), and kalamkari (hand-painted or block-printed textile), and is curated by Gallery Threshold founder Tunty Chauhan.

Tarshito’s artistic journey started in 1979 when he visited India and met his spiritual mentor, Osho. Tarshito was born Nicola Strippoli in 1952 in the scenic area of Apulia, Italy. Osho gave Tarshito the name Tarshito, which means “a seeker of inner knowledge.” Tarshito has visited India more than sixty times since then.

These travels have expanded his creative horizons and strengthened his relationships with regional craftspeople. He balances numerous jobs as an architect, artist, sculptor, gallerist, teacher, and performer, making him a modern-day Renaissance Man. Tarshito views artists as messengers of unification in a time of growing nationalism and divisiveness. He thinks that art may be a ray of hope in a broken world, able to disarm, embrace, and enlighten. “The new world without frontiers, a world of love and peace, is in each of us,” he says so beautifully.

Tarshito has collaborated with traditional musicians from Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, Brazil, Morocco, Peru, China, Uruguay, and Argentina in addition to India. He views himself as a seamstress who crosses cultures via her work. “I look past social standing and skin tone to understand people’s true selves, and I use art to promote unity among people.” The artist states that her works are visual hymns to the interconnectedness of all beings that transcend the confines of time and space.

“This project is my life’s work, and often, life responds to me with serendipitous encounters, affirming that I am on the right path — the path of kinship and harmony.” He creates a symphony of cultural exchange via jugalbandi (artistic duets) with indigenous artists from all over the world. In these artistic duets, every brushstroke, or every warp and weft of needle and thread, becomes a harmonic tune in the song that unites all people.

He was inspired by Greek and Arab civilizations while growing up in southern Italy, home of Castel Del Monte, which Frederick II of Swabia constructed in 1240 AD to bring together learned men from all over the globe to debate life and its mysteries. The setting he grew up in, which was rich in many architectural and cultural influences, is perhaps the reason for his propensity to be a traveler on this globe. “I feel like a product of these cultural intersections,” he says.

After studying the Vedas and earning a degree in architecture, which is known as “the mother of all arts,” as an adult, he found himself attracted to historical art forms. “I decided to work with Indian painters, and I spent a lot of time interacting with villagers’ artists. I then broadened my perspective to include the whole community and kept working with indigenous artists because I think that tradition contains the fundamental principles of life and the origins of mankind,” the guy said.