Kalakriti Art Gallery presents I Know What I Am Doing, a group exhibition curated by PS Jalaja, bringing together contemporary South Indian artists working across different parts of India.
Opening with a preview on 9 October, the exhibition features Adarsh Baji, Alamu Kumaresan, Anupama Alias Anil, George Martin P J, Greeshma C, Jaya P S, Indu Antony, K P Reji, Lakshmi Madhavan, Priyanka Aelay, Reghunadhan K, Sanam Narayanan, Santosh T V, Siji Krishnan, Sujith S N, Vinu V V and Transisters Collective. Spanning diverse artistic practices and generations, the exhibition examines how artists negotiate the social, political and cultural realities of the present through deliberate choices of subject, medium and form.
The title, I Know What I Am Doing, asserts the importance of intention in artistic practice at a time when art-making is increasingly shaped by market forces, digital acceleration and institutional structures. Rather than presenting artistic expression as an isolated aesthetic pursuit, the exhibition foregrounds the thought, experience and conviction that inform the creative process. Its curatorial framework rests on three central considerations: political consciousness, an understanding of medium and conceptual clarity. Together, these principles establish a dialogue between artists whose practices respond to complex realities while retaining distinct visual languages and perspectives.
Across the exhibition, questions of power, labour, the environment, caste, gender, memory, migration, place and existence emerge through varied artistic approaches. Medium becomes more than a vehicle for representation; it actively shapes how ideas are constructed, experienced and communicated. The works acknowledge the relationship between artistic choices and lived experience, recognising that contemporary practice is inseparable from the historical and social conditions in which it develops. Rather than seeking a singular narrative, the exhibition allows contrasting positions to coexist, converge and challenge one another, reflecting the plurality and contradictions of contemporary artistic expression.
For curator PS Jalaja, this coming together of diverse practices creates a space in which individual approaches can be considered in relation to broader questions of society and culture. The exhibition brings together younger practitioners and established contemporary artists, allowing different generations and sensibilities to enter into conversation. Its emphasis on conceptual clarity does not suggest a uniform artistic language; instead, it recognises the significance of each artist’s chosen medium, perspective and engagement with the world.
Gallerist Rekha Lahoti describes the title as a declaration and provocation that affirms the artists’ conviction in their chosen approaches. The selection reflects a considered engagement with their ideas and the ways these are articulated through their work. Among the participating artists is Adarsh Baji, a former Krishnakriti Scholarship recipient whose work has entered the collections of the Geneva Peace Foundation and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA). A specially abled artist affected by polio, Baji develops a distinctive visual language in which boats and arms function as supports, carrying both personal significance and broader associations with movement, resilience and physical experience.
Alamu Kumaresan’s practice approaches questions of perspective and ideology through observations that suggest how different methods can lead towards a shared destination while revealing fundamentally different ways of thinking. Anupama Alias Anil’s work reflects, in part, the influence of her experience in France, where she travelled in 2016 as a French Scholarship artist. These practices demonstrate how personal histories, intellectual inquiry and encounters with different cultural contexts can shape artistic expression without diminishing its individual character.
The exhibition also introduces audiences to artists whose work is being presented at Kalakriti Art Gallery for the first time. Reghunadhan K and Vinu V V bring their practices into the gallery’s programme, while Hyderabad-based Priyanka Aelay, a represented artist, contributes a perspective rooted in the city’s contemporary art scene. Lakshmi Madhavan’s inclusion extends the exhibition’s engagement with distinct artistic voices, while Sanam Narayanan’s imagery, noted by Lahoti for its delicate, rice-paper-like quality, introduces a more contemplative visual sensibility. Works by George Martin P J, Santosh T V and Sujith S N further contribute to the range of approaches represented in the exhibition.
The inclusion of Transisters Collective, a group of three performance artists, extends the exhibition beyond individual practices and introduces a collective dimension to its exploration of artistic expression. Their participation underscores the breadth of approaches through which contemporary artists can engage with ideas, bodies, identities and social realities.
Ultimately, I Know What I Am Doing considers artistic intention as both a personal conviction and a critical position. The statement acknowledges the complexities of making art within existing social, political and institutional frameworks while affirming the significance of individual decisions. By bringing together artists with distinct approaches, experiences and concerns, the exhibition creates a space for multiple interpretations rather than a predetermined conclusion. Its strength lies in this openness, allowing artistic practices to speak through their own languages while entering into a wider conversation about the conditions, responsibilities and possibilities of making art today.
