Artist and educator Remya Brijesh’s solo exhibition Voyage of the Soul unfolds as an intimate terrain of memory, belonging, and emotional continuity. Curated by Georgina Maddox, the exhibition is on view from 27th November to 3rd December 2025, at Kalamkaar Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi, inviting viewers to engage with canvases that function as nostalgic recollections. The exhibition features the artist’s most conceptually mature body of work, representing a synthesis of her South Indian heritage and her contemporary explorations of selfhood.
The Artist
Remya Brijesh was born in Ottapalam, Kerala, and raised in Attingal near Kilimanoor, the birthplace of the celebrated Raja Ravi Varma. Her early life was steeped in a rich cultural and artistic legacy. However, her foundational influence was derived from the temple murals of Kerala. These ancient wall paintings are characterized by exquisite parallel lines and high-contrast color palettes, instilling in her a structural and spiritual discipline that is evident in her current art.
This devotional exposure to art was deepened by her family’s environment. Her father, the late Shri K. Chandrahasan, himself a distinguished painter, offered the ground zero impetus to kickstart her artistic journey. This allowed Remya to evolve a distinct style that simultaneously honours the past and engages with contemporary themes. Remya’s canvases retain a sense of sacred geometry, patterning, and chromatic sensitivity that owes to the temple architecture of Kerala. Her canvas represents visual tenderness rooted in the feminine, the familial, and the elemental.
Tracing The Theme
“Voyage of the Soul” specifically channels deep-seated history through an exploration of humanity, resilience, and interconnectedness. In the words of the curator Georgina Maddox, Remya’s work is a “meditation on the porousness of borders.” Her canvases are not the frames depicting static landscapes; they rather chart emotional topographies in which symbolic lines between land and water represent memory and the immediate moment that are gently blurred. Her subject ranges from the feminine, the elderly, or the child, and caters to the paintings by acting as active nodes in an invisible network of shared experiences. The “tactile empathy” mentioned by Maddox is born from Remya’s own life, shaped by the warmth of her grandparents.
In the artist’s own words, “Each brushstroke is a return, a quiet journey back to the rivers of my childhood…” The exhibition features nearly 60 artworks by Remya and acknowledges ‘how’ the past shapes her present ‘presence.’ The curatorial aspect is to frame the viewing experience as an exercise that will help spectators find beauty in everyday things and will connect people through an invisible thread.
In recent years, Remya’s art has appeared in regional galleries and group shows across India, but the Voyage of the Soul marks a significant milestone as it is a fully realized narrative arc of her mature paintings. The exhibition broadly aligns with the discourse of India’s contemporary art that contextualizes emotional cartography as a legitimate artistic practice.
A Deeper Look at The Art
According to Remya, each brush stroke is an attempt to perfectly encapsulate the essence of her artistic ideology. Her canvases are not constructed solely with public eyes in mind; instead, they coax the viewer into deeper introspection. The rivers of her childhood appear as a recurring motif that stands as a metaphor for continuity and transition. Her artwork is featured with a larger intergenerational lens that values the emotional labour of women artists, particularly those whose work emerges from familial and domestic spaces.
Exhibition Details
| Important Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Artist | Remya Brijesh |
| Exhibition Title | Voyage of the Soul |
| Curator | Georgina Maddox |
| Theme | Memory, Belonging, Resilience, Interconnectedness, Kerala Murals Influence |
| Dates | 27th November to 3rd December 2025 |
| Timing | 11 am to 7 pm |
| Venue | Kalamkaar Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi |
Key Highlights
- Exhibition centers on emotional landscapes rather than literal terrains.
- Strong influence of Kerala temple art, particularly its linearity and symbolic palette.
- Personal histories, grandparents, rivers, and domesticity become metaphors for resilience.
- Curatorial framing by Maddox positions Remya within feminist and intergenerational discourse.
- The show reflects a growing national trend of artists using memory as a methodological tool.
- Remya’s background as an art educator enriches her narrative approach and visual sensitivity.
- Her connection to Ottapalam and Attingal situates her practice within Kerala’s rich artistic lineage.
Takeaway
The Voyage of the Soul stands out as one of the most emotionally intelligent exhibitions of 2025. Remya Brijesh’s work is a masterclass in visual storytelling, transforming personal memory into universal resonance. The emphasis on emotional vocabulary stemming from personal experiences and feelings is also refreshing. Her works insist that memory matters, that emotional labour is art, and that tenderness deserves a place in India’s expanding art discourse. This exhibition is a window to truly listen to the silent stories woven into the threads of the soul’s journey. Her canvases are experiences to be felt, absorbed, and carried forward.
