As India Art Fair concludes, some must-visit exhibitions in Delhi

The representation of Kali
Spanning the end of the 18th century to the 2000s, the exhibition ‘Kali: Reverence & Rebellion’ at DAG, Janpath, investigates Kali’s “representation in art from mythological as well as modern perspectives, freed from ritual iconography”. Curated by Gayatri Sinha, the exhibition includes works of artists such as Satish Gujral, GR Santosh and Rabin Mondal, alongside European portrayals from the early-colonial era, works by unidentified Indian artists belonging to diverse miniature traditions, 19th century Bengal pat and oil paintings, as well as ceramic figurines and glass paintings.

Curated by Gayatri Sinha, the exhibition includes works of artists such as Satish Gujral, GR Santosh and Rabin Mondal.

In a statement, curator Gayatri Sinha notes, “Kali has accumulated a rich history through her transformation over the centuries, commanding a strong hold over the Indian devotional and popular landscape. As a set of abstract principles, Kali stands for death, destruction, rejuvenation and power. Herein, she makes her way into the work of artists like MF Husain, KC Pyne, PT Reddy and Nirode Mazumdar, among others, where her ritual iconography is abandoned for the play of the individual artists’ imagination.”

Jyoti Bhatt
Among the first batch of students at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Baroda, Jyoti Bhatt studied painting and printmaking under stalwarts such as NS Bendre, Sankho Chaudhari and KG Subramanyan. Best known for his documentation of Indian craft and design in rural India, his oeuvre reveals a variety of influences, from Cubism to pop art and traditional Indian folk art. Titled ‘Revisitations’, his exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery in Defence Colony features a collection of almost 80 works across two decades in acrylic on plastic film.

Bhatt engages in larger conversations about the environment, signs of ageing, and temporality.

The depictions range from portraiture to rural life, still life and the natural world. In the introductory essay to the exhibition, curator Gayatri Sinha writes: “Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this series of paintings is the conversation the artist has with himself, dredging up works from the past and revivifying them through the lens of the present, thereby implicating the passage of time and newer stylistic accretions. Bhatt also engages in larger conversations about the environment, signs of ageing, and temporality. Certainly, in terms of his visual language, there is enormous variation, borrowing as he does from archaeology, mythology and fantasy, symbols and snatches of song, personal milestones and signifiers of nationhood.”

FN Souza
Often described as the “enfant terrible” of modern Indian art, an exhibition on FN Souza titled ‘Reminiscing Souza: FN Souza’ is being held at the Lalit Kala Akademi. Curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, the showcase celebrates the pioneering contributions of the member of the formidable Progressive Artists’ Group through artworks spanning decades and belonging to diverse collections.

Rameshwar Broota

Rameshwar Broota’s recent set of works form part of an exhibition at Shridharani Gallery.

Known to reflect on the inner journey of the human condition and also drawing from his subconscious mind and being, Rameshwar Broota’s recent set of works form part of an exhibition at Shridharani Gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam. Belonging to his ongoing engagement with abstraction, several of the canvases are rendered in his trademark chiaroscuro style, where he applies layers of paint on the surface and then scrapes the upper layers with a sharp knife to unearth an image.

Raghu Rai

The showcase looks at six decades of Rai’s journey as a photographer in the pre-digital era.

Explore India — its buzzing streets, nooks and corners, bridges and bazaars — in the exhibition “Raghu Rai – A Thousand Lives Photographs” at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Saket. Spanning 1965-2005, the showcase looks at six decades of Rai’s journey as a photographer in the pre-digital era and includes his long documentations of recognised figures, from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to spiritual leader Dalai Lama and Roman Catholic saint Mother Teresa.

Vasudevan Akkhitam
Painting imagined journeys through works exhibited at Gallery Espace in the solo “Arrival and Departures” artist Vasudevan Akkhitam depicts the state of being as a constant voyage. Dated 2018 to 2023, he also shares his own encounters through depictions of sustained journeys filled with recurring symbols, from a young boy to ladders, boats and homes that stand as witness and participants in the narrative.

Manjunath Kamath

The artist shares large sculptures in terracotta as well as paintings on canvas and paper.

Manjunath Kamath’s solo in the capital after five years – in “Shakekthu Shalpaka” at Bikaner House, the artist shares large sculptures in terracotta as well as paintings on canvas and paper. Presented by Gallery Espace, it has Kamath borrowing from diverse cultural references. His understanding of iconography is informed by his visits to religious sites in and near Mangalore during childhood, to museums and archaeological sites and his constant research for references.

Anoli Perera
A self-taught artist who divides her time between Delhi and Colombo, Anoli Perera, in the exhibition “Debris Collector” at Shrine Empire Gallery, depicts the present held hostage by the past, even as we await an imminent future. She addresses the endless violence in her birth country Sri Lanka and the forced exodus of people during the civil war through works that reflect on the trauma, with images of screaming children, burning fielding and the Christian cross that acts as reminder to the 2019 Easter Sunday violence, when churches and hotels in Colombo were targeted by a series of terrorist suicide bombings.

Zahra Yazdani
In ‘Scripted Selves: Sutures of Signs and Symbols’ at Latitude 28 gallery, Iranian visual artist Zahra Yazdani probes the human body and its complex expressive qualities through photographs in silver gelatin. Adapting the photography method used centuries ago, she interrogates reality and fiction, blurring boundaries between the two.

Shibu Natesan

Artist Shibu Natesan adapts a more intimate model as he approaches work of four masters from western art history that he describes as favourites.

Departing from his larger canvases that preceded, in his solo at Art Alive, artist Shibu Natesan adapts a more intimate model as he approaches work of four masters from western art history that he describes as favourites: the 17th century Dutch painter Frans Hals, 18th century Spanish artist Francisco Goya, 19th century French modernist Édouard Manet and 20th century American artist John Sargent. The symbolic elements blend with the surreal, in an interplay between light and shade, time and scale, to address complex societal issues.

Sustaina India
An initiative meant to bring together science and art to inspire collective climate action — conceptualised by sustainability think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and curated by artists Srinivas Aditya Mopidevi, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra. Curated by Jiten Thukral, Sumir Tagra — asserts how an understanding of everyday materials can realign our relationship with the planet. Featuring art by Debasmita Ghosh, Manjot Kaur, Rachna Toshniwal, Pallov Saikia and Bhaskar Rao, among others, the showcase includes works in varied mediums, from immersive installations to tapestries.

The intiative is conceptualised by sustainability think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

In a statement, Thukral and Tagra note: “We are in a time where the scale of climate change can only be addressed when multiple disciplines join forces with their methodologies and resources. Art can become an active conduit to relay diversity of knowledge on sustainable practices from science, indigenous wisdom and public policy. As creators, we firmly believe in channelling the sensorium of touch, smell, sound, and vision as paths to climate awareness and retention for current and future generations.”