From a new show by one of India’s best contemporary artists to an exhibit that captures Bengali auteur Satyajit Ray at work
While Independence month usually opens with Indians amping up their patriotism and dressing in tricolour for added effect, the new art shows in India remind us of the ideals and hopes our country was built on. In 1947, freedom looked like freeing ourselves from the oppressive colonial regime. 78 years later, perhaps it looks like having enough women in rooms that have long been dominated by men. The 8th edition of the Delhi Contemporary Art Week (opening on 30th August) brings together six like-minded galleries, all helmed by women, to spark conversations about contemporary issues as well as celebrate homegrown talent. Objects May Appear Softer…, running at Black Cube Gallery in Hauz Khas till 4th September, also brings together works by over 21 Indian female artists to showcase their contribution to the country’s artistic landscape. Here’s our pick of other shows you can’t miss this August:
The Personal is Mythical at Latitude 28, New Delhi
What do you get when a celebrated Gond artist, a self-taught painter and a multidisciplinary artist come together on one platform? A show that challenges the binaries of art and presents works that, as the title suggests, have deeply personal creations that resonate with viewers as almost mythical. Curated by Bhavna Kakar and featuring paintings by Bhajju Shyam, Neha Sahai and Viraj Khanna, Latitude 28’s latest exhibition explores private memories and narratives, and showcases how they can evoke timeless themes through people’s lived experiences.
On view at Latitude 28, F-208, First Floor, Lado Sarai, New Delhi until 18th August 2025
Roots of the Earth at Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
History books can erase people’s lived experiences or communities altogether, but art is the medium that can keep seemingly lost traditions and narratives alive. Artists Prabhakar Kamble and Akshay Mahajan come together in this dual show to explore individual and collective memories of communities whose voices are ignored in colonial and official records. While Kamble’s intriguing sculptures continue his exploration of Ambedkarite activism and anti-caste movements, Mahajan’s ongoing People of Clay series highlights the lives of the forgotten peoples of Assam’s Goalpara district through photographs, terracotta figurines and textile fragments. Through this fascinating exhibit, the artists aim to shed light on the unknown and showcase how they defy prejudices one creation at a time.
On view at Jhaveri Contemporary, Devidas Mansion, Merewether Road, Colaba, Mumbai until 16th August 2025
Madhvi Parekh: Remembered Tales at DAG, New Delhi
She’s one of the pioneers of Indian folk modernism, and one glimpse of her vibrant canvases will tell you why. Inspired by village artworks, modern art techniques and the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit, Madhvi Parekh creates rich and vivid worlds in each of her canvases. A new show in the capital celebrates this famed artist’s journey, including several new works, pages from her sketchbooks and large-format canvases. “Unapologetically different from other artists, Parekh’s work stands etymologically apart—not quite ‘modern’ as most viewers see it, and not quite folk. It is this quality of rawness that has convinced me of her importance to the Indian art world,” explains Ashish Anand, managing director at DAG, about the significance of this monumental exhibition.
On view at DAG, 22A, Janpath Road, Windsor Place, New Delhi until 23rd August 2025
No Race, No Colour by Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah at Experimenter, Kolkata
Like all of the natural world, flowers don’t have and don’t see race, colour, creed or nationality. They are our companions from birth till death, from lighting up celebrations to adding a sense of peace during funerals. In his first solo show in India, Sri Lankan artist Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah works with flowers and their “quiet beauty”, also playing with other natural phenomena like the blood moon to create arresting and hard-hitting artworks. No Race, No Colour tells stories of Pakkiyarajah’s nation through an environmental lens, through several installations, drawings and mixed-media artistic creations.
On view at Experimenter, 45 Ballygunge Place, Kolkata until 20th September 2025
Lineage as Language at Rukshaan Art, Mumbai
Even before we actively started writing as children, scribbling and drawing came to us naturally. The art of drawing is a language in itself, one that people from across the world can relate to without the need for words or explanations. This exhibition brings the practice of drawing into the limelight, through artworks by 45 Vadodara-based artists. Working across a range of media including paper, canvas, wood and metal, these artists play around with scale, surface, textures and gestures to showcase the enduring nature of this universal art form.
On view at Rukshaan Art, 1st Floor, Laxmi Building, Ballard Estate, Mumbai until 20th August 2025
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled by Radhika Surana at Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
“Somewhere I have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience,” wrote E.E. Cummings in his touching poem on love and human connection. For her first solo show, visual artist Radhika Surana also explores similar themes, using her embroidery needle to weave creations that illustrate the quiet labour that goes into maintaining relationships. Tapping into the indigenous practice of indigo vat dyeing as well as working with intricate needlework forms like the French knot and seed stitch, Surana weaves natural motifs and intriguing patterns that mirror the immense emotional effort it takes to build and nurture everlasting human connections.
On view at Art Alive Gallery, S-221, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi until 20th August 2025
Light and Shadow: Satyajit Ray through Nemai Ghosh’s Lens at Alipore Museum, Kolkata
Two icons of their fields—one capturing the other at work through his lens over the years, both creating masterpieces as they went along. A new exhibition at Alipore Museum in collaboration with DAG, brings to fans and viewers a unique documentation of Bengali auteur Satyajit Ray by photographer Nemai Ghosh. Featuring several black-and-white as well as some never-seen-before colour photographs of Ray, behind-the-scenes images of his films and Ray at work, the show provides a fascinating window into the master filmmaker’s life as well as that of the lensman who captured his aura so brilliantly.
On view at Alipore Museum, 17, Judges Court Road, Alipore, Kolkata until 13th September 2025
Act of Republic by Naresh Kumar at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai
Born in Sitamarhi in Bihar and having lived across Patna, Delhi, Paris and Mumbai, artist Naresh Kumar would surely know a thing or two about migration and belonging. It’s this journey that he portrays in each creation on display at his show, which delves into ideas of what a republic is and how it connects to the ideas of nation, family and culture. Featuring artworks created using materials like indigo, mica, gamchas (cotton cloths used mainly by labourers) and even old telephone directories, Kumar’s enthralling exhibit aims to both question and explain ideas of freedom and belonging.
On view at Chemould Prescott Road, 3rd floor, Queens Mansion, Fort, Mumbai until 28th August 2025
Shape of a Thought: Letters from Ram Kumar at MAP, Bengaluru
He was an economist, a writer and an artist, but it’s what his artworks made people feel that made him one of India’s foremost abstract painters. Celebrating Ram Kumar’s centenary year, MAP Museum brings to viewers glimpses of his best paintings and evocative portraits. Curated by Arnika Ahldag and Priya Chauhan, the retrospective is accompanied by the film The Spaces in Between by Naveed Mulki, which showcases letters exchanged between Kumar and a friend on art, life and everything in between.
On view at MAP, 22, Kasturba Road, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru until 26th October 2025
Shared Worlds at Bikaner House, New Delhi
Prominent Delhi gallery Exhibit 320 celebrates a landmark 15th anniversary this year. To commemorate this milestone, the space presents a group show at Bikaner House that brings together over 30 artists who have both showcased at the gallery in the past and those who have been admired by founder Rasika Kajaria. With works in diverse media traversing themes of memory, minimalism and politics and featuring noted names including Anju Dodiya, Jagannath Panda, Mithu Sen, Nandan Ghiya, Gigi Scaria and Shakuntala Kulkarni among others, the exhibition curated by Deeksha Nath is a tribute to Indian art and a glimpse of the gallery’s future exhibits.
On view at Bikaner House, between Pandara Road and Shahjahan Road, India Gate, New Delhi from 4th to 13th August 2025
Mark, Material, Memory at Art Exposure, Kolkata
Artists pay as much attention to technique and material as they do to colour and texture, approaching their work almost as a construction site to build a creation. In this dual show featuring works by Asim Paul and Surabhi Chowdhary, the creators prioritise time, texture and touch to gradually build the surfaces of their works. While Paul’s works seem simultaneously dense and barren due to his play with form and texture, Chowdhary works with light and nature to create abstract reliefs.
On view at Art Exposure, 16/2, Lake Terrace, Kolkata until 31st August 2025
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