In the exhibition ‘Making the Modern: Sixty Indian Master Artists’, leading voices of Indian modern art come together in a dialogue across generations, disciplines and artistic traditions. Presented by the Raza Foundation in collaboration with Progressive Art Gallery, the exhibition opened on October 17 and concludes today at Triveni Kala Sangam.
Curated by art historian Yashodhara Dalmia, ‘Making the Modern’ brings together approximately 60 significant figures in Indian modern and post-Independence art. The exhibition creates a meeting ground for artists whose distinct approaches, ideas and visual languages have shaped the evolution of modern Indian art.
Tracing the foundations of modern Indian artistic thought, the exhibition features works by Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Amrita Sher-Gil and Jamini Roy, among others. 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 idiom that moved beyond colonial academic conventions and romanticised interpretations of tradition.
The exhibition also highlights the diverse artistic concerns of V. S. Gaitonde, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, Bhupen Khakhar, Arpita Singh 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, ‘Making the Modern’ acknowledges the contributions of sculptors such as 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.
“The exhibition does not attempt to define Indian modernism. Rather, it celebrates its plurality,” said Dalmia, curator of the exhibition. “When these artists are placed together, new relationships become visible.” The curatorial approach encourages 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.
Ashok Vajpeyi, Life and Managing Trustee of the Raza Foundation, described the exhibition as an exhibition that “invites you to a sensuous apprehension of the rich and enriching plurality of the modern ‘under one roof’”.