Raza Foundation, in collaboration with Progressive Art Gallery, is presenting Making the Modern: Sixty Indian Master Artist
Bringing together 60 masters across generations and artistic disciplines, the exhibition explores the diverse ideas, influences and visual expressions that have shaped Indian modern art, from its pioneering voices to the post-Independence movement. Making the Modern: Sixty Indian Master Artists, an exhibition presented by Raza Foundation in collaboration with Progressive Art Gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam, is going on till Oct 26. Curated by art historian Yashodhara Dalmia, the exhibition brings together approximately 60 significant figures of Indian modern and post-Independence art.
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Yashodhara Dalmia, Curator of the exhibition, said, “The exhibition does not attempt to define Indian modernism. Ashok Vajpeyi, Life & Managing Trustee of the Raza Foundation, said, “An exhibition of modern masters of India, curated by Yashodhara Dalmia, invites you to a sensuous apprehension of the rich and enriching plurality of the modern ‘under one roof’. Rather than following a conventional chronological narrative, it creates a meeting ground for generations of artists whose distinct approaches, ideas and visual languages shaped the evolution of modern Indian art. From Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose to Amrita Sher-Gil and Jamini Roy, the exhibition traces the foundations of modern Indian artistic thought. It then moves through the transformative years surrounding Independence, with the Progressive Artists’ Group forming a central part of the narrative. Featuring M. F. Husain, F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre and H. A. Gade, the exhibition revisits a pivotal moment when artists sought to establish a contemporary Indian art that moved beyond colonial academic conventions and romanticised interpretations of tradition. The exhibition also brings into focus the diverse artistic concerns of V. S. Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, Jagdish Swaminathan, Nasreen Mohamedi, Bhupen Khakhar, Arpita Singh, Manjit Bawa and Zarina Hashmi, among others. Their practices engage with questions of identity, memory, spirituality, displacement, landscape and the changing realities of Indian society. Extending beyond painting, the exhibition highlights the contributions of sculptors including Ram Kinkar Baij, Himmat Shah, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee and S. Nandgopal. The inclusion of Bhanu Athaiya further broadens the conversation to encompass cinema, costume and popular visual culture. Rather, it celebrates its plurality. She added, “For me, ‘Making the Modern’ is ultimately about dialogue. When these artists are placed together, new relationships become visible. The curatorial approach invites visitors to look beyond individual artistic legacies and discover connections between seemingly different practices, revealing the complexity and diversity of India’s modern art movement. By bringing together artists across generations and disciplines, Making the Modern offers an opportunity to revisit the artistic ideas that helped shape modern India and explore how multiple influences, traditions and individual visions continue to define its artistic legacy. Download the TOI App.