Jayasri Burman Presents Amlaan Jewellery Collection and Mukti Paintings at Snowball Studios

Jayasri Burman will present her first jewellery collection, Amlaan, alongside Mukti, a new exhibition of paintings, at Snowball Studios in Mumbai from 31 October 2026. Presented jointly by Saffron Art, Chawla Art Gallery and Snowball Studios, the two exhibitions bring together different aspects of the contemporary Indian artist’s practice, exploring mythology, femininity, nature and the relationship between artistic expression and everyday life.

Mukti Examines Liberation Through Mythology

On view from 31 October to 15 November 2026, Mukti takes its title from Rabindranath Tagore’s song Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy, which has been a longstanding influence on Burman’s life and artistic practice. The exhibition brings together women from mythology, literature and folklore, presenting their stories in relation to contemporary social and environmental concerns.

Its subjects include Nandini, Krishnakali, Chandalika, Bonobibi, Manasa, Behula, Kali, Draupadi and Sita. Rather than treating these figures solely as characters from traditional narratives, the exhibition considers the values and questions they represent today, including compassion, resistance, sacrifice and renewal.

Women’s Stories Address Contemporary Concerns

The paintings connect familiar narratives with issues such as materialism, caste discrimination, violence against women and ecological crises. Nandini, drawn from Tagore’s Rakta Karabi, represents resistance to oppressive systems driven by greed, while Krishnakali challenges inherited ideas of beauty and prejudice. Chandalika raises questions of caste and dignity, and Bonobibi, rooted in the folk traditions of the Sundarbans, represents coexistence between humans and nature.

The exhibition’s curatorial framework presents liberation not as withdrawal from the world, but as active participation in it. The women in Burman’s paintings become figures through which questions of social responsibility, human relationships and environmental balance can be considered. Flowers, rivers, birds and other elements of the natural world contribute to this visual narrative.

Amlaan Marks a New Direction in Jewellery

Running from 31 October to 11 November 2026, Amlaan marks Burman’s first body of work in jewellery, developed over nearly a decade in collaboration with artisans. The collection translates imagery and symbolism from her paintings and sculptures into objects of adornment, extending her artistic language into a new medium.

Drawing on childhood memories of Bengal, the imagery of the Mother Goddess and narratives involving Radha and Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, Durga and Shakti, the collection also reflects the rhythms of the natural world. Gold, gemstones and minerals form its material vocabulary.

Gold has particular significance in the collection, recalling what Burman describes as her characteristic “Indian yellow”. The colour evokes auspiciousness, sunlight and the sacred, connecting the jewellery to the symbolism that runs through her wider practice. Traditional craftsmanship and the use of precious materials provide a different means of expressing themes already present in her paintings and sculptures.

Artist’s Practice Spans Painting and Sculpture

Born in Kolkata in 1960, Burman received her early artistic training at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan, and later studied printmaking in Paris under Monsieur Ceizerzi. Her practice combines references to Indian mythology and folk traditions with personal memories and observations of contemporary life.

Across paintings and sculptures, her visual vocabulary includes deities, women, animals, peacocks, lotuses and imagined figures. Her work has addressed femininity, spirituality, nature and human experience through varied materials and formats. The National Academy Award, which she received in 1985, is among her career recognitions. Further information about her practice is available on her official website.

Publication and Exhibition Details

The exhibitions will be accompanied by a publication featuring text by art critic Gayatri Sinha and a foreword by writer Amitav Ghosh. The joint presentation by Saffron Art, Chawla Art Gallery and Snowball Studios brings painting and jewellery together while retaining the distinct focus of each exhibition.

Takeaway

Together, the exhibitions offer an opportunity to encounter Burman’s visual language across two mediums. Through stories drawn from mythology, literature and the natural world, they consider how art can engage with questions of identity, freedom, social responsibility and the environment, while exploring the possibilities of traditional craftsmanship in contemporary artistic practice.