Modern meets contemporary in this milestone exhibition

To celebrate its 21st anniversary, Delhi-based Gallerie Nvya has curated a landmark show that brings together 130 artworks by more than 30 eminent artists.

‘21 — Memories & Milestones (2004–2025)’ features both modern and contemporary masters such as Akbar Padamsee, Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpana Caur, FN Souza, G Ravinder Reddy, Jamini Roy, Jayasri Burman, Jehangir Sabavala, Jogen Chowdhury, Krishen Khanna, MF Husain, Madhvi Parekh, Manjit Bawa, Manu Parekh, Manu & Madhvi, Paresh Maity, SH Raza, Sakti Burman, Satish Gujral, Sohan Qadri, and Tyeb Mehta, among others.

Paresh Maity’s magnum opus — a 45-foot-long Varanasi-themed work depicting the Mangala Aarti — anchors the exhibition in both scale and transcendence, offering a deeply immersive experience. A special section is dedicated to living legend Krishen Khanna in celebration of his birth centenary. On display are his bandmaster sculptures, pulsating with the festive energy of his most iconic motif; rare charcoal works from the 1990s that offer an intimate glimpse into his earlier explorations; and a new series of mixed-media works, reaffirming his creative vitality even at the age of 100. Fittingly, Khanna had inaugurated the gallery in 2004.

FN Souza’s works include ‘Christ’s Crucifixion’ as well as landscapes, while a specially curated Jamini Roy Room pays tribute to the artist’s timeless modernism. Viewers can see his iconic ‘The Last Supper’, which blends indigenous folk idioms with biblical narrative.

Also on display are rare works by Sohan Qadri from the 1990s-2000s, exemplifying his meditative abstraction and Tantric-inspired philosophy.

Founded in 2004 by Tripat Kalra, Gallerie Nvya began its journey in Friends Colony and has since expanded to multiple locations — Saket, the Reserved Lounge for private planes at IGI Airport, and the arts centre Triveni Kala Sangam. Its collaborations extend to Hotel Taj Palace and Hotel Pullman in New Delhi, Ahmedabad Airport, DLF Magnolias, and Two Horizon Centre in Gurugram.

Recalling her early tryst with art, Kalra shares: “As a 9th-standard schoolgirl, my Saturdays formed a ‘golden triangle’ — the National Museum, NGMA, and Triveni Kala Sangam — gateways to beauty and imagination that shaped my soul. Trained as a textile designer, I pursued art with unwavering passion. Friends teased, ‘People buy jewellery, you buy art!’ In 2004, I founded Gallerie Nvya — a home for art, my growing collection, and a platform for emerging voices. Senior artists shared the vision. Now, 21 years and five locations later, the Nvya Grant carries the dream ever onward.”

Over the past two decades, the gallery has hosted important exhibitions and retrospectives of senior artists, accompanied by serious academic publications. It has worked closely with eminent writers and curators such as Dr Alka Pande, Prof Rajeev Lochan, Prof BN Goswamy, Prof Ashis Nandy, Prof Seema Bawa, Sushma Bahl, Ranjit Hoskote, Ina Puri, Uma Nair, and Priya Pall, to name a few.

The show is currently on view at Bikaner House until August 24, and will continue at Gallerie Nvya, Saket, from September 4 to 30.