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The Elemental You

A special feature of the show were the profound texts that accompanied some of the works. That was another point of convergence for the three participating artists—all of them are remarkable writers, in the words of the curator, who has not shied away from sharing their creative output in the written form as well. The show pushed the boundary of viewing art through our traditionally calibrated lenses and, in doing so, put KNMA in a different league of nurturing Indian art (needless to say, it is already in a different league altogether). With an overwhelming majority of Indians consuming and creating art through conventional tropes, shows such as ‘The Elemental You’ awaken us to the limitless possibilities that we ignore for the sake of convenience.

Ephemeral Visages

Ayesha Sultana feeds off her environment-generating processes that articulate her vision. Her need to not over-narrativize her work is compelling, and sometimes unsettling, as one finds various access points that could point to the potential underlying genesis; however, she is keen to empower the predicaments one offers in favour of her practice.

Kalighat Painting and Kalam Patua: Contemporary Chronicler

Kalam Patua is considered to be a phenomenon to understand the response of a traditional folk visual artist (the patua or the maker of the pata) to the non-academic and popular art practices of urban Kolkata, the Kalighat patachitra. Hailing from the Murshidabad district of Bengal, Kalam Patua is said to have reinvented Kalighat painting to create his own visual narratives and stabilise his rhetoric, style and technique. Patua started as an apprentice in his family of idol-makers in Murshidabad, and learnt patachitra painting which was the hereditary practice of his extended family spread in the two districts of Murshidabad and Birbhum.

The Elemental You

Ephemeral Visages

Kalighat Painting and Kalam Patua: Contemporary Chronicler

Review

Fragile worlds

By Meera Menezes

Ravikumar Kashi’s ‘Fragile Worlds’ at the Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru, evokes the permeability of form, memory, and meaning. Through delicate, net-like sculptures and poetic explorations of language, the exhibition invites viewers into a tactile, immersive meditation on fragility, interconnectedness, and the porous edges of self and society.

Book Review

The Archetypal Artist, Francis Newton Souza

By Alka Pande

This review by Dr Alka Pande explores 'F.N. Souza: The Archetypal Artist' by Janeita Singh (Niyogi Books), a bold and interdisciplinary examination of one of India’s most controversial modernists. Blending Jungian psychoanalysis, feminist literary theory, and cross-cultural philosophy, Singh offers a fresh, intimate lens into Souza’s work—unpacking themes of sexuality, shadow, and modernity with remarkable clarity and conviction. A compelling contribution to postcolonial readings of Indian art.

Review

Visceral Realities: Experiencing the Works of Jogen Chowdhury

By Aranya Bhowmik

This review by Dr. Aranya Bhowmik explores In Celebration: Jogen Chowdhury at Art Exposure Gallery, Kolkata. Curated by Soumik Nandy Majumdar, the exhibition traces Chowdhury’s evolving visual language—spanning refugee memories, surreal dreamscapes, and politically charged figures—revealing a deeply personal modernism marked by psychological depth, empathy, and cultural rootedness.

Review