Colours, chaos & conversations: Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi Annual Art Exhibition 2025 showcases pieces that soothe

Yathesht Pratiraj Phool

If you think art exhibitions are all silent rooms and chin-stroking critics, you haven’t been to the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi Annual Art Exhibition 2025 yet. From July 22 to 31, the usually quiet Punjab Kala Bhawan in Sector 16B is buzzing with colour, creativity and conversations. Open daily from 11 am to 7 pm, it’s free, it’s air-conditioned and honestly, it’s way more gripping than another scroll through your reels feed.

Art in July? Why?

Well, for starters, it’s not just art, it’s a bunch of stories. Emotional, weird, joyful, experimental. This exhibition isn’t trying to be cool. It just is.

Hosted by Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, the same folks who’ve kept the city’s art heartbeat alive since forever (with roots that stretch back to the National Akademi from 1954), this showcase is equal parts aesthetic and deeply local. You can literally feel the blend of Le Corbusier’s modernist vibes and the experimental buzz from the Government College of Art, which has been shaping talent here since the ‘60s.

And the artworks? Let’s talk highlights.

The showstoppers

Musical monks in radiant hue

This one pulls you in like a slow-burning sunset. Picture monks, not in quiet meditation, but laughing, singing and standing under 108 balloons (yep, that number’s symbolic). The colours? Think royal purples, soft golds and those deep pinks that make your phone camera freak out. It’s cheerful, spiritual and just a little surreal. Joy? Transcendence? Maybe both.

Labyrinthine masks

This piece could’ve been an album cover. It’s black and white — except it’s not boring for a second. Three faces peek out through swirling shapes. It’s messy in a good way. You look at it and suddenly, you’re thinking about identity, masks and how we all kind of hide behind design filters.

Duality in dialogue

A diptych (fancy term for a two-part painting) that’s minimalist but not cold. Imagine two silhouettes mid-conversation — quiet, abstract, moody. Bursts of teal and mustard cut through the black and white like unexpected honesty.

Not just for art nerds

What makes this show work is that it’s a mix — young artists, seasoned names, pieces that challenge and pieces that soothe. Some works here have even been picked up by major institutions. And the vibe inside the Punjab Kala Bhawan? Open, curious.

Should you go?

Yeah. Even if you’re not “into art.” Go to laugh at a title, stare at a painting too long or talk to an artist about their creative process. It’s oddly therapeutic.