‘Ramayan: Eternal | UniversaL’ juxtaposes early prints from the Raja Ravi Varma Press with modern works

Curator Chaitya Dhanvi Shah said the exhibition was conceived as a continuum of expression, rather than a contrast between old and new. He said that the “intent was to allow artists to engage with the Ramayana through contemporary visual languages whilst remaining attentive to the cultural weight of the text”. The show features work by around 20 artists. Among the contemporary works is Maha Setu by Harshil Patel. The installation, purported to resemble the bridge built in the mythological text, runs along the floor of the exhibition space and employs sand as a primary material, with cut-outs of the ‘vanar sena’.

Artist Dhaval Prajapati’s sculptural painting The Constant Witness depicts Lord Hanuman in three-dimensional relief with miniature scenes unfolding across the surface. He told The Indian Express that engaging with the Ramayana “required sustained research and careful material choices, given the narrative’s familiarity across audiences”. Taken together, the exhibition reflects how contemporary artists negotiate that familiarity through varied forms and processes.

The exhibition is on view at DRS Arts Company, S G Road, Ahmedabad, until February 2, between 4 pm and 10 pm daily.

(Nishant Bal is an intern at the Ahmedabad office of The Indian Express)