Nilaya Anthology, widely regarded as India’s premier design and cultural destination, is hosting a one-of-a-kind exhibition titled “What The Land Remembers.” This confluence of art, memory, and materiality is presented through the works of Helena Bajaj Larsen, Tenzin Dhakpa, and Gaia Pawar Shapiro. The exhibition runs from 12th November to 31st December, 2025, at Gallery 2, Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai, from 11 AM to 7 PM. The core themes revolve around how landscapes are remembered or imagined by retaining the human element. This exhibition surpasses the boundaries of aesthetic appreciation and moves towards becoming a persistent representation of loss, ecology, and inheritance. The diversity of the subjectivity of the canvases is what makes it stand out.
A stroll through the gallery proves to be a compelling journey where personal memories coincide with collective thought and are translated into co-dependent tangible acts of preservation and reinvention. The event unfolds itself a space filled with quietude, but its grace places it in a beautiful chaos.
Landscape & Identity
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The thematic core oscillates within the reciprocity between person and place. This notion is vividly articulated with the works of three distinct artists. Each artist has a unique taste and a rare signature of artistic endeavor that swiftly delves into the complex process of making a “self” within the contours of shifting terrains. These paintings deal with a broad subject matter ranging from diaspora, history, personal introspection, and so forth. The land in the landscape is not featured as a serene background, but it is personified as a living participant in the human saga. The land, thus, appears as an archive of migration, loss, and return.
The Artists
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The works of Helena Bajaj contribute to the exhibition through experimental textile installations. The artist grew up in varied geographies, and this sentiment is well reflected in her artistic practice. Her Indian, Norwegian, and Persian roots are well-defined inspirations in her work. She presents hand-painted and flat-woven textiles that attract inspiration from the Global South. Through her work, she pays homage to “home.” She beautifully combines Indian ornaments with the minimal aesthetics of Scandinavia, and finally adds a juxtaposing sense by introducing the Italian touch.
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In contrast, Tenzing Dakpa’s medium is documentary photography. His series focuses on the region of Kurdi in South Goa, a village that was submerged by the Salaulim Dam but partially resurfaces each year during the dry season. Dakpa’s lens captures this cycle of absence and presence. He often captures images in silence and darkness and punctuates those with light bursts. This creates a sense of confrontation within the resulting image. Dakpa’s photographs are not simply records of a flooded settlement; they are haunting meditations on displacement, development, and the fragile relationship between modern infrastructure and living heritage. He also depicts the tension between the man-made dam and the untamed natural environment using the same method, as a way of delivering his concerning views towards Mother Nature.
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Finally, the presenters’ trio is completed by Gaia Pawar Shapiro. Her canvases appear to be the dreamland between real landscapes and the collage of personal recollections. Having grown up in the beautiful surroundings of Hampi, her paintings frequently explore the concept of “home” as a safe, isolated inner world, a walled-in garden surrounded by trees. Her compositions recreate the feeling of a solitary walk.
Overview of The Event
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | What The Land Remembers |
| Venue | Gallery 2, Nilaya Anthology, Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai |
| Dates | 12th November – 31st December 2025 |
| Timings | 11 AM – 7 PM |
| Participating Artists | Helena Bajaj Larsen, Tenzing Dakpa, Gaia Pawar Shapiro |
| Presented by | Nilaya Anthology |
| Curatorial Theme | Memory, landscape, ecology, and cultural inheritance |
Key Highlights
- A rare confluence of textiles, photography, and painting within a unified conceptual framework.
- Exploration of submerged landscapes and resurging memory, particularly through Dakpa’s Kurdi series.
- Sustainability, craft, and ecology are foregrounded in Helena Bajaj Larsen’s textile practice.
- Psychological and emotional landscapes are explored through Gaia Pawar Shapiro’s canvases.
- A strong engagement with Global South geographies and post-development realities.
- Hosted at Nilaya Anthology, a space known for blending contemporary design with critical cultural discourse.
A Dialogue Between Land, Loss, and Legacy
What The Land Remembers is a perfect example of artistic practice aligning with the global trend in which landscape is no longer treated as a neutral piece of background, but holds deep, politically or ecologically driven significance. Given the backgrounds of the artists, it is also a great contribution to South Asian art. Today, the world is defined by migration and rapid, often disruptive, urbanization, a phenomenon particularly relevant to Mumbai. It also resonates strongly with contemporary conversations around dams, development-induced displacement, and environmental justice, issues that remain unresolved across large parts of India. In a nutshell, it is a brilliant reminder that a landscape’s most profound stories are often found not on its prominent surfaces, but in its deepest, most hidden layers.
