Art and artists of yesteryear at 100: Delhi witnesses stellar exhibition celebrating four modern Indian maestros

How do you perceive modern art? Ask a schoolgoer, and for them, it would be all about the abstract forms and the vibrant hues; however, ask an adult, and for them, modern art is a critical mirror of society, characterized by aesthetic merit.

- PRIYANJALI DAS

But when it is an exhibition that showcases the depth of Indian art as portrayed by four modernist maestros, you are witnessing a legacy; no matter your age, you would be mesmerized by how art intertwines everyday life, society, culture and the mundaneness of it all, making you question, interpret and express.

Celebrating 100 years of four Indian modernist masters, Francis Newton Souza, KG Subramanyan, Ram Kumar and V.S. Gaitonde, Progressive Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Raza Foundation, organized an exhibition titled "The Four: Celebrating the Birth Centenary of Four Modern Indian Masters", on 29 October this year, which would be on public view till 10 November 2024 at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. As India celebrated its 78th Independence Day this year, the exhibition curated by the renowned art historian and critic Yashodhara Dalmia focuses on how the masters of yesteryears played an instrumental role in shaping the trajectory of modern Indian art post-independence and reflected on newfound curiosities and explored modernity with a distinctive style and vision, articulating a narrative through visual language that reflected upon the deep-rooted Indian culture and society.