Emami Art is presenting Insubordinate Matter, a group exhibition featuring ten emerging artists selected for the sixth edition of IMAGINARIUM, its annual All-India Open Call for Young and Emerging Artists. On view from 9 October to 26 December 2026 at Emami Art in Kolkata, the exhibition explores the relationships between materiality, memory, the body and the natural world through a range of artistic practices.
Materiality at the Centre
The exhibition brings together artists working with clay, glass, textiles, natural dyes, wax, wood and reclaimed rubber. Their practices examine how materials can retain personal histories, carry inherited meanings and reflect changing relationships between people and their environments.
Rather than treating materials as passive mediums, the exhibition considers how their physical qualities influence the making and interpretation of artworks. Its central themes move between bodily and familial inheritance and the natural world under strain, placing handmade objects at the centre of contemporary cultural and ecological questions.
According to the exhibition’s official presentation by Emami Art, the works span sculpture, painting, drawing, installation, ceramics, textiles and found objects.
Ten Artists Selected From More Than 1,200 Portfolios
The ten artists were selected from more than 1,200 portfolios submitted to IMAGINARIUM 6.0. The jury comprised Ibrahim Mahama, May Makki, Siddharth Somaiya, Shaunak Mahbubani and Ushmita Sahu, Director and Head Curator of Emami Art.
The participating artists are Bhagyashri Dange, Sonu Pujar, Subhash Deka, Srijita Raha, Tithi Das, Annanya Dhanda, Ayushi Shukla, Dibbya Mudi, Shibayan Halder and Siya Raju.
Their practices reflect different approaches to material and memory. Dange works across drawing, painting and printmaking, while Pujar uses textiles, organic matter and domestic materials in sculpture, installation and performance. Deka develops sculptural forms inspired by natural rhythms and environmental phenomena.
Family Histories, Bodies and Landscapes
Several artists examine the ways personal experience becomes embedded in objects and materials. Srijita Raha works with cloth and natural dyes to explore girlhood, vulnerability and emotional displacement. Annanya Dhanda draws on domestic objects and mother–daughter relationships, considering intimacy, gender and emotional inheritance. Tithi Das uses archival photographs and layered acrylic painting to address grief, care and lived experience.
Other practices engage more directly with landscape and environmental change. Ayushi Shukla draws on traditional visual languages and the heritage of the Ganga to examine cultural memory and changing landscapes. Dibbya Mudi transforms discarded industrial rubber through weaving and stitching, connecting sculpture with craft, labour and sustainability.
Shibayan Halder works across wood carving, sculpture, installation, performance, photography and video, reflecting on environmental transformation and the relationship between people and place. Siya Raju uses ceramics and glass to explore natural forms, adaptation and interdependence.
IMAGINARIUM Awards Recognise Three Artists
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The exhibition also recognises three artists through the IMAGINARIUM Awards. Bhagyashri Dange receives the First Award of INR 2 lakh, Sonu Pujar the Second Award of INR 1.5 lakh, and Subhash Deka the Third Award of INR 1 lakh.
The awards are supported by the Emami Foundation and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity. All ten selected artists are included in the exhibition.
Richa Agarwal, Founder-Director of Emami Art, said IMAGINARIUM was established in response to the gap between artistic talent in India and the opportunities available to young practitioners. The programme aims to provide support at an early stage through recognition and sustained engagement with the art community.
Supporting Emerging Artistic Practices
Launched in 2020 in response to the disruption of artistic livelihoods during the pandemic, IMAGINARIUM has developed into a programme offering awards, exhibitions, mentorship and professional engagement. Its sixth edition continues that focus by bringing artists from across India into a shared exhibition.
Established in 2017, Emami Art is a contemporary art gallery based at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity’s Green Building. Its programme includes exhibitions and initiatives supporting emerging, mid-career and established artists, with particular attention to practices from eastern and northeastern India.
| Event | Details |
| Event Title | Insubordinate Matter |
| Venue | Gallery 2 & 3, Ground Floor, Emami Art, Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Exhibition Dates | 9 October – 26 December 2026 |
| Organiser | Emami Art — IMAGINARIUM 6.0 |
| Website / Registration | Official Exhibition Page |
Insubordinate Matter is on view in Galleries 2 and 3, Ground Floor, Emami Art, Kolkata, from 9 October to 26 December 2026. Admission and ticket details were not specified in the supplied press release; visitors should consult the gallery’s official website for current information.
Final Thought
By bringing together diverse approaches to material, memory and ecology, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to consider how artistic practice can connect individual histories with wider social and environmental concerns. It also highlights the role of exhibition platforms and mentorship in supporting emerging artists and broadening participation in contemporary art.
