MASSIVE: Large Format Paintings from Madras

The Madras Art Movement is often remembered for its intimate works—small-format paintings on paper and canvas that carry the weight of symbolism and introspection. But when artists from this tradition work on a large scale, something transformative happens. Their visual language expands. Their gestures become more visceral. Their thoughts, unrestrained by format, find full voice. Massive is an exhibition that brings this rarely seen dimension into focus. Featuring monumental works by Achuthan Kudallur, C. Douglas, and Velu Viswanadhan— three artists whose practices are rooted in the foundational years of Cholamandal—it also presents large-scale paintings by C. Krishnaswamy, G. Gurunathan, Maanas Udayakumar, and K. Jayachander, who represent a new generation shaped by the evolving legacy of the Madras School post-2000s. To paint large is not simply to scale up. It is a demanding process—physically, emotionally, and technically. For these artists, large format becomes a site for immersive exploration and risk, where their deepest ideas unfold in dramatic, often breathtaking form. From a collecting perspective, it is often these large works that endure—the ones that come to define an artist’s practice over time. With Massive, Ashvita’s seeks to draw attention to these rare, standout pieces that offer collectors a chance to engage with potential masterpieces. Works by Douglas, Velu, and Achuthan at this scale are increasingly scarce. This exhibition, then, is not only a curatorial celebration of scale—but also a moment of opportunity