Contemporary Printmaking in India
Year
2010
Artists
Ajit Dubey, Akbar Padamsee, Akhilesh Varma, Amitabha Banerjee, Anil Majumdar, Anupam Sud, Archana Hande, Arpan Mukheriee, Atin Basak, Avijit Roy, Baiju Parthan, Bhaskaran R.B., Chittaprasad Bhattacharya, D.L.N. Reddy, Dattatraya Apte, Debraj Goswami, George Martin P.I., Ghulammohammed Sheikh, Jaggannath Mohapatra, Jagmohan Chopra, Jai Zarotia, Jatin Das, Jayakumar Gangadharan, Jayanta Naskar, Jayant Gaiera, Jayanti Rabadia, Jinshook Shinde, Jogen Chowdhury, Jyoti Bhatt, K.G. Subramanyan, Kashinath Salve, Kavita Nayar, Kavita Shah, Krishen Khanna, Krishna Reddy, Lalira Laimi, Laluprasad Shaw, Mimiradha Krishnan, Nagarjuna Sridhara, Naina Dalal, Nalini Malini, Nirmalendu Das, Om Soorya, P.D. Dhumal, Palaniappan Ramanathan, Paramjeer Singh, Pinaki Barua, Prathap Modi, Rajan Fullari, Rini Dhumal, Riyas Komu, Sanjeev Khandekar, Sanjeev Sonpimpare, Sham Sunder.r.s, Siddharth Ghosh, Simhalchalam Dollu, Somnath Hore, K. Subbanna, Sunil Darii, Sunil Padwal, Sushma Yadav, T. Vaikuntum, Tanujaa Rane, V. Nagdas, Vaishali Narkar, Vijay Bagodi, Vilas Shinde, Walter Dsouza, Yashpal Chandrakar, Yogesh Rawal, Zakit Hussain.
About the Exibition
This landmark exhibition brings together 100 printmakers across generations after a decade, celebrating the democratic essence of printmaking which was and is an art form for people with refined taste and modest means. Historically, artists like Pablo Picasso and Raja Ravi Varma bridged this divide: Picasso’s prints entered middle-class European homes, while Varma’s oleographs made fine art accessible to 19th-century Indian households. The exhibition maps the layered history of printmaking as both a vehicle of inclusivity and innovation.
In the 1950s, members of the Progressive Artists' Group such as Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, Gaitonde, founded the Shileekesh print studio to make their work affordable to the average Indian. Today, art has become both expensive and mystified as a luxury reserved for the elite. This exhibition seeks to counter that notion by reviving the culture of accessible collecting.
Featuring 300 works in intaglio, aquatint, lithography, etching, and more, the exhibition highlights both masters and emerging printmakers. These works are not only visually compelling but are sound investments as well as affordable pieces of cultural heritage meant for every Indian home.
Contemporary printmaking in India is more than an art form, it is a reflection of evolving identities and social narratives. From colonial visual histories to today’s diverse expressions, the medium has remained underrepresented. This exhibition aims to restore its visibility and value, engaging new audiences and fostering a deeper appreciation for the medium and its cultural legacy.
