Art Explore will present Inward, the first solo exhibition by celebrated couturier and textile designer Harpreet Narula, from 3 to 21 August 2026 at its Panchsheel Park gallery in New Delhi. Curated by Vikram Singh, the exhibition marks Narula’s transition into a public contemporary art practice while remaining closely connected to the visual language that has shaped his career in fashion and textiles. The exhibition brings together a new body of abstract paintings informed by memory, craftsmanship and the rhythms of repetition.
From Couture to Contemporary Painting
Recognised for his contribution to Indian couture and textile design, Narula has spent decades working with fabric, pattern and craftsmanship. Rather than representing a departure from his design career, Inward extends that practice into painting. His mixed-media canvases draw on the structural logic of weaving, where repeated marks gradually build rhythm, texture and form.
According to the exhibition notes, painting has become a daily practice for Narula, who describes it as a source of happiness and peace. Each work develops patiently through thousands of deliberate marks, reflecting an approach rooted in sustained observation rather than spontaneity.
Inspired by Frescoes and Vernacular Traditions
The exhibition takes inspiration from the painted frescoes of Shekhawati and the decorated havelis and kothis of Rajasthan and Punjab. These architectural traditions, together with Narula’s experience in textile design, have informed a visual language that explores abstraction through colour, pattern and repetition.
Curator Vikram Singh describes the paintings as being shaped by three enduring traditions—the painted wall, the loom and repetition-creating works that remain rooted in place while speaking through a contemporary abstract vocabulary.
Exhibition Highlights
- First solo exhibition by Harpreet Narula
- Curated by Vikram Singh
- Mixed-media abstract paintings
- Works from the Rhythms of Life and Polarities of Rhythm series
- Inspired by fresco traditions, textiles and cultural memory
- Focus on repetition as a meditative artistic process
Art Explore’s Contemporary Programme
Founded in 2016, Art Explore has developed a programme that supports emerging, mid-career and established contemporary artists across painting, sculpture, installation and mixed media. Based in Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, the gallery focuses on long-term collaborations and exhibitions that engage with themes of identity, memory, material and place. Recent gallery presentations have included artists working across abstraction, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media, with Harpreet Narula also participating in several of its art fair presentations.
Visitor Information
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Inward |
| Artist | Harpreet Narula |
| Curator | Vikram Singh |
| Venue | Art Explore, E-55, Lower Ground, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi |
| City | New Delhi (Google Map) |
| Opening Date | 3 August 2026 |
| Exhibition Dates | 3–21 August 2026 |
| Timings | Monday–Friday: 10:30 AM–6:30 PM | Saturday: 10:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Organiser | Art Explore |
The exhibition is expected to appeal to audiences interested in contemporary abstraction, textile traditions and the relationship between design and fine art. Those seeking additional information or media interactions with the artist may contact Longform Communications, as noted in the exhibition press material.
Continuing a Personal Visual Language
Rather than presenting abstraction as an isolated formal exercise, Inward positions painting as a continuation of Narula’s lifelong engagement with materials, structure and craftsmanship. The exhibition reflects broader conversations within contemporary Indian art around regional histories and inherited craft traditions while maintaining a distinctly personal visual language. Through layered surfaces, repeated gestures and references to architectural memory, the exhibition invites viewers to spend time with works that reveal themselves gradually.
As Harpreet Narula begins this new phase of his artistic practice, Inward offers audiences an opportunity to encounter an artist whose experience across design and visual culture has evolved into a thoughtful body of contemporary painting.
