10 new art shows in India we’re excited about this June

From a group show that pays tribute to Mother Earth to an affordable art show featuring works by over 50 artists

If the rain makes you want to cosy up indoors for the entirety of monsoon, you can count on the new art shows in India to lure you out. On the other hand, if you’re vacationing in the cooler climes of Switzerland, definitely take out time to visit the Art Basel fair that celebrates some of the best artworks and artists from around the world, including Indian names like Biraaj Dodiya, Krishna Reddy and Praneet Soi. Those vacationing in London can head to Frieze No.9 Cork Street till 8th June, where Vadehra Art Gallery, Jhaveri Contemporary and Chemould Prescott Road are putting up their booths. Textile artist and knitwear designer Shradha Kochhar’s first solo show at Aicon Contemporary in New York (opening June 6) spins cotton into a physical archive of women’s invisible labour and loss. For exhibitions closer to home, here’s our pick of the best from around the country this month: A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings c. 1795–1830 at DAG, New Delhi As the East India Company laid its foundations in the subcontinent, it also patronised art and culture, contributing to early blends of Indian art with Western influences. A new show in the capital showcases works created by Indian artists of the company era, bringing to light their intricate creations and their visuals of life and times under Company rule. Divided into three categories—natural history, architecture and Indian manners and customs—the exhibition highlights the importance and diversity of Company paintings, as well as the unmissable talent of Indian painters of that period. On view at DAG, 22A, Janpath Rd, Windsor Place, New Delhi until 5th July 2025 Purusha Prakriti at Bespoke Art Gallery, Ahmedabad If there’s one thing most humans take for granted, it’s this beautiful planet we live on, with all of nature’s glories surrounding us, from the trees that provide shade to the fresh air we breathe. This exhibition, curated by renowned art historian Uma Nair, pays tribute to Mother Earth through diverse artistic creations. Featuring works by 40 masters, sculptors and ceramicists ranging from KG Subramanyan to Himmat Shah, Jyoti Bhatt and more, the showcase is a fabulous exploration of art, nature and tradition—an apt homage to the world we inhabit. On view at Bespoke Art Gallery, Sindhubhavan to Ambli Road, Ahmedabad, until 10th June 2025 Re-Figuring at Emami Art, Kolkata Ten artists. Different artistic mediums. One exhibition that attempts to answer the question, ‘What does a figure objectify?’. Featuring recent creations by young contemporary artists, this show interrogates the ‘complex rendering of figures in the real, imagined or psycho-social spaces they inhabit’. From semi-abstract forms to figurative renderings, the artworks in this exhibit also touch upon themes of capitalism and its effects, collective belonging and interpersonal conflicts—all by way of figurative art. On view at Emami Art, Anandapur, Adarsha Nagar, Kolkata until 21st June 2025 A Touch of Carmine at Art Musings, Mumbai Also called cochineal extract, crimson lake or carmine lake, this bright red hue adds several degrees of vibrancy and allure to any canvas it is seen on. Celebrating the many shades of Carmine, Art Musings’s latest show presents works by various painters whose canvases make this colour the hero. From Chittrovanu Mazumdar’s hypnotising abstraction to a four-panel work by Reena Saini Kallat and Paresh Maity’s signature angular faces, the exhibition presents artworks by some of India’s best names, bringing out the beauty of a colour so many love. On view at Art Musings, Admiralty Bldg, Colaba Cross Lane, Mumbai until 30th June 2025 A Moment in Modernity by Haren Thakur at Art Magnum, New Delhi This landmark show pays tribute to the genius of artist Haren Thakur, whose five-decade practice has seen him contemporise tribal art forms for viewers. Curated by eminent art historian Dr Alka Pande, the exhibition features Thakur’s notable creations like his vibrant works in acrylic as well as watercolour on Nepalese rice paper, among other fascinating canvases. “His work reflects a deep commitment to preserving authenticity, ensuring that art remains a medium for genuine expression rather than mere aesthetic sophistication, ” says Pande about Thakur’s magnificent body of work featuring the harmonious fusion of modern and tribal elements. On view at Art Magnum, 60/2C, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi until 30th June 2025 Vaanyerum Vizhuthugal: Roots that Reach for the Sky at MAP, Bengaluru MAP’s first-ever exhibition dedicated to contemporary photography, Vaanyerum Vizhuthugal presents the works of 12 photographers of Tamil origin who constantly push the boundaries of visual storytelling and camerawork through their images. Curated by Jaisingh Nageswaran, this exhibition—a project by Goethe-Institut Chennai and Chennai Photo Biennale—aims to showcase the changing face of postcolonial Tamil identity and its role in a politically charged world. With images that explore feelings of childhood trauma, love, loss, kinship and queer desire and identity, each image in this showcase is poignant and provocative in its own right. On view at MAP, 22, Kasturba Road, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru until 20th July 2025 Indian Modern Art: Evolution of Narratives at Art Exposure, Kolkata The world of modern Indian art is so vast and varied that it would take aeons to summarise it in one showcase. But an exhibition in Kolkata attempts to bring forth the evolution of modern art, tracing periods from the Bengal School to the Bombay Progressives and beyond. Featuring creations by India’s most celebrated artists, including Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Amrita Sher-Gil, Arpita Singh, Jamini Roy, Ramkinkar Baij and F.N. Souza, the show is both a tribute and a study of Indian modernism as a medium of showcasing art history and tradition at its very best. On view at Art Exposure, 16/2, Lake Terrace, Kolkata until 15th June 2025 Summer Art Show at Method, New Delhi After taking place in Mumbai for several years, Baro Market’s Summer Art Show heads to the capital for the first time. Including artworks by over 50 artists working in diverse media, the lineup at this year’s summer showcase features creations varying from Gond art and mata ni pachedi to book sculptures and beyond, promising to make art accessible to all. The show also includes a special ‘collector’s corner’ that has affordable artworks on sale, giving art enthusiasts a chance to explore and invest in canvases by prominent artists. On view at Method, Basement, D-59, Defence Colony, New Delhi until 22nd June 2025 Building the Past: An Architect Collector at Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai Many in the creative world know Sohrabji K Bhedwar as an ace architect, co-founder of architecture firm Bhedwar & Bhedwar, which built, among others, the iconic Eros Theatre at Churchgate, as well as the Syndicate Bank Building in Fort and Queens Court opposite Oval Maidan. But few know that he was also an avid collector of some of India and Nepal’s best bronze sculptures and miniature artworks. Chatterjee & Lal’s latest show presents, for the first time after Bhedwar’s death, objects and artworks from his private collection that was built over a period of 30 years. Considered by some as the best private collection of metals in the country, Bhedwar’s sculptures are undoubtedly worth a dekko, especially for fans of sculpture and Indian art history. On view at Chatterjee & Lal, 01/18 Kamal Mansion, Arthur Bunder Road, Mumbai until 30th July 2025 Whimsical Lines: Urban Refrain through Tribal Abstraction by Bhuwal Prasad at Galleria Nvya, Saket Born in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, contemporary artist Bhuwal Prasad earned his BFA from the Faculty of Visual Arts, BHU, Varanasi, and an MFA from the College of Art, New Delhi, but continues to have a deep-rooted connection to his humble origins, bringing this out in each of his creations. Taking inspiration from India’s vast and vibrant landscape of traditional art forms like Warli, Gond and Sohrai, Prasad reinterprets these thoughtfully and playfully through his lively canvases. A new solo exhibition in the capital features recent works by Prasad that capture the whimsy of daily life as well as the intricacies of Indian artistic traditions, making for an impactful showcase. On view at Galleria Nvya, Square One Designer Arcade, Saket until 28th June 2025

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