Art Mumbai

What makes Madras unique in the history of Modern Indian Art? The answer lies in its distinctive visual language, shaped by the city’s evolving cultural landscape, a strong artistic pedagogy and an enduring engagement with tradition. One of the earliest port cities of British India, Madras witnessed significant changes in its social, cultural and artistic life. The movement of people, ideas and influences contributed to the city’s evolving identity, eventually making it an important centre for artistic education. In 1850, Dr. Alexander Hunter established the Madras School of Art, laying the foundations for formal art education in the region. Under Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury and later K.C.S. Paniker, the institution underwent significant changes in its teaching methodologies, placing greater emphasis on formal elements, particularly line, while encouraging individual expression. Madras Modern emerged from this foundation, where the exploration of modernity remained deeply connected to cultural roots and lived experiences. The artists presented at this edition of Art Mumbai reflect this sensibility. T.R.P. Mookiah and P. Perumal draw from rural life, while Alphonso Arul Doss explores the interplay of light and form. S.K. Rajavelu’s fluid lines, R. Varadarajan’s abstraction and Premalatha Seshadri’s exploration of form and rhythm reveal the diverse visual languages shaped by a shared artistic foundation. The artistic sensibilities that shaped Madras Modern continue to find expression in contemporary practices, where artists develop individual approaches to form, material and lived experience. G. Gurunathan explores abstraction through colour, texture and geometry, while Benitha Perciyal K. draws from material, memory and cultural histories, transforming organic substances into evocative sculptural forms. C. Krishnaswamy engages with personal histories and his native surroundings across multiple mediums, while Jagath Ravi captures the subtleties of human presence through figurative painting. Maanas Udayakumar, meanwhile, draws from an intimate observation of everyday life, translating familiar scenes and experiences into a personal artistic language. The spirit of experimentation that defines Madras Modern finds a broader resonance in contemporary Indian art. Thukral & Tagra engage with popular culture, consumerism and social transformation through interdisciplinary practices, while Raghava KK explores identity, perception and the possibilities of artistic expression. Though distinct from the Madras lineage, their practices reflect a similar impulse to move beyond established forms, develop individual visual languages and respond to the changing world around them. Together, these artists reveal that Madras Modern is not defined by a singular style, but by the freedom to develop an individual artistic language while remaining connected to one’s roots