At the Lalit Kala Academy in Chennai, the contemporary now brings an important moment: the city known for its deep -rooted classical tradition now hosts a powerful performance of contemporary art. The exhibition brings five of the five most influential galleries in India together-Camold Prescott Road, Vaudhera Art Gallery, Chatterjee and Red, Experiment, and Ashwita, with thirty-seven artists in generations. Each participating gallery brings its curatorial heritage, artistic program, which honors the years of working with artists and shaping the contemporary art discourse.
The exhibition has paintings, sculpture, photography, performance, textiles, installation and hybrid forms. The selected artifacts are engaged with subjects such as identification, gender, ecological changes, urban changes and personal history.
Victory of the mixture by Maumita Das. Photo Credit: Moumita Das
For example, Kolkata -based artist Maumita Das is attracted to artisan traditions, domestic labor and abstraction. His functions often complete the use of cannabis, wool, cotton and silk. “I work with nature -inspired form, color and texture, while weaving in social issues that shape our everyday life. The layers in my work are a symbol of different stories, feelings and emotions of different people, which all come together to create an artwork, where people can be related to each other,” they say.
Spring (peacock- from a window grill), 2025 | Photo Credit: User
A series of artist named Spring Prabet Soi is made from the ongoing work with craftsmen in Kashmir, where he was fascinated by how the decorative pieces are papier-mounted-the layer of maras, the soil, the Jhelum River, Tissue and the soil from the tissue, and the varnish, and then the complex forms-a skill that moves down from the sap. “I asked a craftsman if he could develop in these tiles that makes me feel like a canvas. It took us about a year to resolve the technical challenge, but once we did, it opened a place for cooperation. Now, the process is shared, we sit together, sit together, decide on colors and patterns, and something new is based, which is based on Amsterdam.
“We wanted the exhibition to be included and layered as an idea of ​​’contemporary India’. We cuisted mediums (painting, sculpture and photography), geographical and generations within our presentation.
Purnima on a dark night by Soumya Shankar Bose. Photo Credit: Soumya Shankar Bose
The series of visual artist Soumya Shankar Bose investigates a dark night full moon gender identity and his interest in psychological aspects around ancient laws and culture that surrounds these questions. The full moon in a dark night began in 2015, about a decade ago – well in 2018 before reducing Section 377. “I have grown up with people with whom I have grown up and I have known for years with friends. It at one time detects personal and social life. Soumya. Sambir. A Sabir, a friend in a hotel room in Midnapore, West Bengal, a friend and the other shows a white tiger in Alipore Zoo, Kolkata.
“We wanted to provide a capsule presentation of artists in our program. From the younger generation, we have included Moumita Das, who serve as a fiber artist, which has included weaving and dyeing techniques that are in their practice. The mysterious landscape is alone, uninhabited places,” Mortimer Chatterjee, Director Chatterjee and Red, Mumbai.
Artist and academic Edip Dutta’s ink piece piece of work is taken through the woven shadow XVI, a stirring pavement, packed with tight torpulin. “I am surrounded by the transformational character of these places. During the day, they have a completely different appearance in the sense that they are crowded with hawkers and their goods, when I go to these vacancies at a time, when these shops are closed, and things are packed, it acquires a different character,” Edip says.
Pretake king, director and co-founder, user, share the importance of cooperation. “We are curious that the actions of our artists are widely seen by the audience, appreciated by those, and are understood by those who are facing them for the first time. Even artists are enthusiastic, because whenever people join with new practices, new questions come up and new curiosities increase.”
Contemporary is now in the Fine Arts Academy till 17 September
Published – 03 September, 2025 05:22 pm IST
