Mumbai will host a major retrospective dedicated to artist, sculptor, muralist and architect Satish Gujral (1925–2020) this autumn as Satish Gujral 100: A Centenary Retrospective opens at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai. Presented by JSW and The Gujral Foundation, the exhibition runs from 9 October to 20 November 2026 and brings together more than 100 works alongside archival material, photographs and personal memorabilia, offering a comprehensive view of one of India’s most influential modernists.
A Centenary Exhibition
Curated by Pramod KG, the exhibition marks the artist’s 100th birth anniversary and follows earlier centenary initiatives dedicated to Gujral’s artistic and architectural legacy. The Mumbai presentation traces his journey across painting, sculpture, drawing, mixed media and architecture, highlighting a career defined by experimentation rather than allegiance to a single medium.
Mumbai and the Artist’s Early Years
The exhibition carries particular significance because of Gujral’s connection with Mumbai. In 1944, he enrolled at the Sir J.J. School of Art, where he studied alongside artists who would later shape Indian modernism, including members of the generation associated with S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza and V.S. Gaitonde. His time in Bombay was interrupted by illness and later by the upheaval of Partition, experiences that would profoundly influence his artistic language.
The curatorial note describes the exhibition as a symbolic return of the artist to the city where an important chapter of his creative development began.
From Partition to Global Modernism
Born in Jhelum in 1925, Gujral experienced the trauma of Partition as a young man. Those memories later informed his celebrated Partition paintings, which explored themes of displacement, violence and human resilience. After receiving a scholarship to Mexico, he worked in the orbit of muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, an experience that expanded his understanding of scale, public art and material experimentation.
His international exposure continued through exhibitions and travels across Europe and North America, helping shape a multidisciplinary practice that evolved over several decades.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Visitors can expect works spanning nearly every phase of Gujral’s career, including:
- Paintings and drawings from his early and mid-career periods
- Sculptures in wood, metal, stone and ceramic
- Mixed-media works and relief compositions
- Archival photographs and personal documents
- Material relating to his architectural projects
- Rarely seen works from private and institutional collections
Art, Architecture and Reinvention
Gujral’s contribution extended beyond painting and sculpture. His architectural work remains an important part of his legacy, most notably the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi, a project that earned international recognition and contributed to his reputation as a multidisciplinary creator. The building was later recognised among notable twentieth-century architectural works, while Gujral received Belgium’s Order of the Crown for his contribution.
Throughout his career, he moved fluidly between disciplines, treating architecture, sculpture and painting as interconnected forms of expression. According to the exhibition organisers, this relationship between media forms a central narrative within the retrospective.
The Organisations Behind the Exhibition
The exhibition is presented by The Gujral Foundation and supported by JSW. Established in 2008, the foundation has developed programmes across art, architecture and design, collaborating with major international exhibitions and cultural institutions.
Further information about the centenary programme can be found on the official Satish Gujral 100 project page, while venue details are available through the National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai.
| Event | Details |
| Title | Satish Gujral 100: A Centenary Retrospective |
| Artist | Satish Gujral (1925–2020) |
| Venue | National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) |
| City | Mumbai |
| Opening Date | 9 October 2026 |
| Exhibition Dates | 9 October – 20 November 2026 |
| Curator | Pramod KG |
| Organiser | JSW and The Gujral Foundation |
| Entry / Tickets | As per NGMA Mumbai visitor guidelines |
| Website | https://gujralfoundation.org/satish-gujral-100/ |
Takeaway
A century after his birth, Satish Gujral 100 offers an opportunity to revisit the work of an artist whose career crossed painting, sculpture, murals and architecture. By bringing together works from across six decades, the exhibition not only reflects the evolution of a singular creative figure but also provides insight into the broader story of modern Indian art. For contemporary audiences, it presents a chance to engage with questions of memory, identity, experimentation and cultural history through the work of one of India’s most versatile modernists.
