For anyone who has hesitated to publish or abandoned a project midway, Gaysi Family’s Opn Art House’s recent showcase, ‘The Museum of Rejects’, offered a space for both reflection and rebellion. The exhibit embraced “Deleted Drafts”—incomplete portraits, unfinished ideas, and works deemed unsuitable by conventional standards.
“Sometimes, we are scared or ashamed, or we feel it’s not perfect. Other times, it’s a form of self-censorship—there’s the uncertainty of whether anyone will resonate with it or not. That is what we try to challenge here,” said Priya Dali, creative director of Gaysi Family and Are You Serious Studio.
‘The Museum of Rejects’ pushes back against the rigid artistic norms of traditional Indian schools, which dictate what is considered “good,” “aesthetic,” or “acceptable.” “We’re not here to create ‘good’ art. We’re here to break the rules, to embrace the imperfect, the raw, and the ‘bad,’” Dali added.
The showcase featured over 30 artists exploring themes of gender, sexuality, caste, religion, and other narratives often overlooked in mainstream spaces. By giving room to these so-called “flops” and “failures,” the exhibit revealed a deeper truth—sometimes, the art we abandon carries the most heartfelt stories.
A striking element of the exhibit was the presence of red tags beneath the artworks, reading: “This draft was deleted.” These visual markers represented the emotions and struggles behind unshared works. Some pieces reflected personal insecurities, while others revealed unfinished collaborations or experiments artists were hesitant to share.
Opn Art House originally began as the Zine Bazaar in 2018, a space dedicated to popularizing zines—small, self-published booklets containing original or appropriated text and images. “It started as a marketplace for artists to sell their self-published books. But in 2023, we rebranded as Opn Art House, expanding beyond just paper-based works,” Dali explained.
Unlike traditional publishing, zines are self-directed, offering artists complete creative freedom. “Just as a canvas serves as a medium for painting, zines become a space for expression—capturing voices and ideas that might not fit conventional formats,” said Dali. With their varied forms—stitched cyanotype prints, thick booklets, or expansive designs—zines serve as a flexible and accessible storytelling medium.
Dali further emphasized how zines challenge the idea that art is limited to painting on canvas or sculpting. “Traditional art forms come with a layer of privilege—canvas, paint, and preservation costs are expensive. For those without financial access, these barriers can mean a forced stop to making art.”
By celebrating imperfection and rejection, Opn Art House challenges industry norms and material barriers. ‘The Museum of Rejects’ redefines failure as an act of creative defiance. “It’s a space to honor the vulnerability behind art, where what feels unfinished or too raw can be seen without the pressure to be perfect,” said Dali.