In an era dominated by hyper-modernity and transient visual culture, the inquiry into what constitutes the sacred offers a vital moment for contemplation. Opening at New Delhi’s Bikaner House, Kalakriti Art Gallery presents ‘Standing on Sacred Ground’, a curated group exhibition featuring seven emerging contemporary artists, Nagesh Goud, Bratin Khan, Dhruti Mahajan, Keerti Pooja, Mayadhara Sahu, R. Giridhara Gowd, and Sachin Jaltare from the 14th to 22nd September. Far from a conventional display of religious art, the exhibition probes the nuanced intersections between ancient philosophies, collective memory, and individual expression, constructing a bridge between inherited artistic traditions and contemporary visual languages.
The defining thread of the showcase lies in its material intelligence, an acute awareness of how physical mediums carry historical and emotional weight. By employing earth pigments, bronze, gold leaf, teak wood, and traditional tempera, the artists maintain an unbroken tactile connection to longstanding heritage while executing radically modern forms. Gallerist Rekha Lahoti notes that while the exhibition brings together diverse practices and distinct narratives, what binds the artists is the idea of spirituality. However, that spirituality takes a radically different shape for each practitioner, transforming raw materials into a deeper reflection on time and ritual.
The visual narratives within the exhibition occupy a space between the familiar and the unfamiliar, drawing from ancient frescoes, temple architecture, mural traditions, and folk puppetry. Bratin Khan uses monochromatic tempera to weave personal memories of rural Bengal, lotus fronds, and classical music into serene compositions rooted in his training at Visva-Bharati University. In contrast, R. Giridhara Gowd engages with the mural heritage of Lepakshi, Badami, and Hampi, reimagining the figures of Shiva and Shakti through a contemporary lens as a meditation on creation, destruction, and cosmic balance.
This cosmic duality is echoed in the work of Sachin Jaltare, who explores the tension between form and formlessness through shifting palettes of jewel-toned colors that reflect an inward process of emotional transformation. Bolgum Nagesh Goud translates Telangana’s Cheriyal and leather puppetry traditions into three dimensional presence, reinterpreting figures like Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Krishna, and Rukmini through bronze and fibreglass sculptures that honor indigenous craft while existing firmly in the contemporary present.
Other artists in the exhibition turn toward quieter, minimalist explorations of time and structure. Keerti Pooja uses watercolors on wasli paper to capture fleeting pauses in daily routines, using recurring motifs of garlands and unfinished threads to evoke fading gestures and memories. Dhruti Mahajan approaches time through continuous repetition, crafting minimalist white-on-white pinprick works on paper where delicate shifts in light, shadow, and texture create a deeply contemplative experience. Meanwhile, Mayadhar Sahu draws from the architectural magnificence of Odisha’s Puri and Konark temples, carving teak wood to celebrate the interdependence of ancient stone architecture that endures without cement.
Ultimately, ‘Standing on Sacred Ground’ proposes a refreshed understanding of the sacred in daily life. The exhibition serves as an invitation to pause, suggesting that these artworks are not merely static objects to be observed from a distance, but living practices capable of integrating into our everyday routines. By weaving ancient philosophies into contemporary expressions, these seven artists allow small moments of reflection, beauty, and spirituality to reshape how we view the world around us.
