Strip Tease

Cartoonists weave tales to explain the origins of Indian artefacts.

The comics are inspired by sculptures and artwork from the exhibition.

It is a common man’s interpretation of centuries-old Indian art, intended to transform historic artefacts into characters in comic strips. When cartoonist Sharad Sharma of World Comics contemplated on a comics book workshop around one of the most extensive and critically acclaimed exhibitions at the National Museum, “The Body in Indian Art”, he knew it would be a challenge. “There are so many stereotypes with relation to the body in Indian culture, look at the saffron brigade, and then we have these amazing sculptures; Khajuraho is famous world over,” says Sharma.

A week into the exhibition, the comics workshop was planned. Group of around 15 — including art students, an academic researcher and a medical professional — gathered at the Museum to present their perspective on the the exhibition.

While Sharma shared technical expertise on the art of creating a comic strip, the amateur artists (mostly from the Capital) were free to choose an aspect of the exhibition that interested them the most. “The outcome was amazing. Everyone had a different take, some humorous, others insightful,” says Sharma. A fortnight later, the group reassembled to share their art. Their work will be put together in a comic that will shortly be on display at the museum.

Among Sharma’s favourite is Kavita Nambissan Ganguli’s interpretation of sculptures depicting demons. “According to her, these were created by an artist who was constantly criticised. He decided to take out the frustration and bring out the evil that he saw on the faces of those nagging him, in his work,” says Sharma. Another artist, Shikhant Sablania, found humour in a 5th century sculpture with two genitals. “He made up a story where a sage with a huge appetite was blessed with them to be able to urinate,” says Sharma.

The changing preference of body type, from voluptuous to thin, has been documented by Katherine, who has the “God of Wealth” transform accordingly over the years. The Master himself, Sharma, meanwhile has created a comic based on 13th-century Sati memorial stones that are part of the exhibition. “I am from Rajasthan and this social evil is a major concern there,” says Sharma. With a similar workshop planned later this month, he says that the encouraging response might lead to regular such artistic adventurous at the Museum. “We might actually make the comic workshops interpreting the collection a regular feature,” he says.

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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