Unfolding Narratives: Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Art
- | West Gallery
Opening Times: Wednesday 1 July to Tuesday 7 July, 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 8 July , 10am to 2pm
Private View: Tuesday 30 June , 6pm to 8:30pm (Invitation Only)
Free Admission, no booking required
Unfolding Narratives: Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Art
Marking Sakshi Gallery’s 40th year, Unfolding Narratives: Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Art showcases works by six artists: Amit Ambalal, Manjunath Kamath, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shine Shivan and Surendran Nair, who have, over many decades, shaped and redefined the contours of Indian contemporary art. A number of works have been created especially for the exhibition, offering audiences an insight into the artists’ current directions and evolving practices.
Unfolding Narratives examines the evolving role of storytelling within contemporary artistic practice. Storytelling has been a cornerstone for Indian visual culture, from the past to the present. However, in the field of contemporary art, these stories are no longer a fixed inheritance. Here, reverence gives way to interrogations, or re-imaginings of a new terrain, rewritten through both personal and political lenses.
Ravinder Reddy’s iconic sculptures sit at the crossroads between the secular and sacred, the goddess and the mortal, tradition and contemporaneity. The artist, however, inflects these figures with a bold, kitsch-like sensibility, prompting reflection on femininity, sexuality and the gaze. Reddy’s figurations of the everyday woman defy codified beauty ideals, drawing inspiration from both popular culture and classical iconographies.
Featuring more than twenty works, these artists have been chosen for the distinct ways in which they revisit and reframe visual languages drawn from mythology, popular culture, personal history and everyday observation.
Manjunath Kamath
Rekha Rodwittiya, Surendran Nair and Manjunath Kamath approach storytelling as a fluid space, where geographical boundaries become porous. Rodwittiya draws from a tapestry of art-historical references, inscribing them with an autobiographical impulse that rests on feminist resistance. Nair constructs allegories from a range of sources, both Indic and Greek, layered with a strong undercurrent of socio-political reflection. Kamath’s works reference shared visual legacies between South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, treating history and myth as a space of fiction
Amit Ambalal
Shine Shivan and Amit Ambalal approach the narrative through playful gestures. Shivan’s practice resides in the space between retelling and reliving, shaped by his travels across northern regions of the country to cultural sites. Amit Ambalal draws from early encounters with storytelling, rooted in a childhood spent in close proximity to narrative traditions. Central to his practice is the idea of leela, or cosmic play, where non-human creatures assume the follies and affections of everyday life.
About Sakshi Gallery
Founded in 1986 by Geetha Mehra, Sakshi Gallery is a Mumbai-based gallery and a longstanding presence in India's modern and contemporary art landscape. For nearly four decades, Sakshi has built sustained relationships with artists across generations, supporting their practices through curatorial depth, continuity, and critical engagement. Sakshi has worked with some of the most signicant gures in Indian art while continuing to champion emerging voices and evolving practices.
Contact Sakshi Gallery
If you would like to find out more information regarding the Exhibition, please contact Sakshi Gallery directly.
