India, Feb. 21 -- I've always admired Ashiesh Shah's Stambh collection of sculptures. In Vedic texts, a stambh is a cosmic column connecting heaven and earth. Shah's pillars embody this lofty ideal, but still seem firmly in the here and now. He's made several over the years. Some feature rustic, tribal elements, as with the cane and natural fibres of the Naga Raincoat Stambh. Others, such as the playful, futuristic Guccha Stambh, consist of white aluminium half-eggs emanating a yellow glow.

One set draws from the glossy, lacquered crafts of Channapatna in Karnataka. Another, the Kantilo Stambh, is a clear nod to artist Anish Kapoor's gigantic architectural membrane installation Taratantara. Some feel almost weightless, while others have ...