Indian modernism beyond style

A new exhibition looks at Indian modernism through two artists — Krishen Khanna and Prabhakar Kolte — whose practices, though different, continue to reflect history, memory, and everyday experience. The show, ‘Memory | Remains’, has been presented by Thapar Gallery, New Delhi. It is on view till February 28.

The exhibition moves beyond the idea of presenting the artists as “masters”, instead viewing modernism as a continuing and evolving practice. Through Khanna’s figurative works and Kolte’s abstraction, it shows how social memory and lived experience continue to surface in everyday images and forms.

Khanna’s paintings draw closely from everyday life. Associated with the Progressive movement, his work focuses on ordinary people — bandwallas, refugees, and migrant workers — seen in streets, processions, and public spaces. His paintings reflect experiences shaped by Partition, migration, and post-Independence India, capturing moments and observations rather than specific historical events.

Commenting on the exhibition, Ashish Thapar, the gallery’s director and curator, said, “Bringing Krishen Khanna and Prabhakar Kolte together allows us to revisit Indian modernism not as a closed chapter, but as an ongoing conversation. Their works continue to engage with memory, history, and lived experience in ways that remain meaningful today.”

In contrast, Kolte’s abstract works move away from recognisable imagery. Using layered surfaces, restrained colours, and subtle shifts in texture, his paintings explore how meaning can emerge without clear images. His works invite viewers to slow down and engage with the physical qualities of paint, surface, and space.

Seen together, the works of Khanna and Kolte show how Indian modernism extends beyond style or period. The exhibition presents modernism as a continuing process — one that remains closely connected to history, society, and everyday life.