AstaGuru is set to host Masters Legacy, a landmark auction dedicated to the pioneers and torchbearers of Modern Indian art. Scheduled for March 10-11, 2026, the sale brings together an exceptional selection of works by some of the most influential artists who shaped India’s modern visual language.

Rare Works by Leading Artists

At the heart of the auction are rare and important works by icons such as M F Husain, S H Raza, F N Souza, Krishen Khanna, Nandalal Bose, Bikash Bhattacharjee and G R Santosh, each representing distinct stylistic evolutions from lyrical abstraction and metaphysical geometry to social realism and sculptural experimentation. Extending the narrative into the late twentieth century and beyond, Masters Legacy also spotlights important works by practitioners such as Prabhakar Kolte, Akkitham Narayanan, and Shail Choyal. Their works underscore the enduring impact of modernist thought while articulating fresh formal and conceptual concerns. The auction also includes sculptural works by important artists, including Ramkinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, Himmat Shah. Three paper works by artist V S Gaitonde are also featured in the upcoming auction.

Event in a Glance

Curatorial Vision Behind the Auction

Commenting on the significance of the upcoming sale, Mr. Manoj Mansukhani, Director, Marketing, AstaGuru, remarked, “Carefully curated, the auction traces the arc of Indian art from the nationalist revivalism of the early twentieth century to the bold experimentation of the Progressive era and the contemplative abstractions that followed. Together, these works embody a legacy of innovation, intellectual rigour, and artistic courage.” He further adds, “With a focus on quality, rarity, and provenance, Masters Legacy presents collectors and connoisseurs with an opportunity to acquire works that are not only aesthetically significant but also historically pivotal. It reaffirms AstaGuru’s continued commitment to presenting art that defines and enriches the canon of Modern Indian art.”

Highlight Lot: Bikash Bhattacharjee’s Untitled Works

Appearing in the auction is Lot No. 27, an ‘Untitled’ by Bikash Bhattacharjee,a set of three works that presents women and children, two recurring protagonists in his oeuvre. They are seen on a balcony that opens onto a dreamlike, almost unanchored natural landscape. The architectural setting recalls the decaying aristocratic mansions of Bengal, which the artist was known to observe at length, absorbing their quiet desolation and translating it into his pictorial language.

Raza’s ‘Kundalini’ and the Bindu Philosophy

Another lot that equally leads this auction is Lot No. 35, Titled as ‘Kundalini’, it belongs to Raza’s late engagement with the bindu, a phase in which the motif is no longer static but suggestive of movement and awakening. The work reflects the artist’s enduring commitment to abstraction as a means of accessing universal truths, synthesising modernist form with indigenous philosophy. In Raza’s bindu paintings, geometry becomes meditation, and the act of seeing becomes an inward journey. Colour plays an equally crucial role in this language. Raza’s high-chroma reds, blacks, blues, and yellows are invested with elemental resonance, intensifying the spiritual charge of the composition. Applied with deliberation and restraint, these hues transform the canvas into a site of concentrated energy rather than an expressive gesture.

Husain’s Dynamic Horse Motif

Lot No. 49 titled ‘Untitled (Horses)’ by M F Husain, presents a charged and emblematic variation of his horse motif, where colour, symbol, and movement converge with striking immediacy. Two horses dominate the composition, their bodies rendered in fiery reds and acidic yellows, locked into a tense diagonal thrust across the surface. Husain fractures their anatomy into jagged planes outlined with thick black contours, heightening the sense of urgency and physical strain. The open mouths, wide eyes, and sharply angled limbs suggest not grace but exertion and confrontation, as though the animals are locked in a moment of relentless forward drive. The background showcases stormy blues and greys, swirling above an earthen brown ground, creating a dramatic contrast. This turbulent setting amplifies the psychological intensity of the scene, transforming the space into an arena of conflict rather than a natural landscape.

Souza’s Vision of Urban Turbulence

Lot No. 29 by F N Souza titled ‘Garden City’, conjures a turbulent vision of urban life pushed to the brink, shaped by Souza’s deeply sceptical view of modern civilisation. Painted during a personally and historically fraught decade of the sixties, the work transforms the idea of a city into a site of moral and existential collapse rather than order or growth. The garden here is anything but pastoral; instead, it is a charged terrain where human ambition and spiritual failure. Souza’s handling of paint is central to the work’s psychological force. Thick impastos and urgent, slashing brushstrokes charge the surface with kinetic energy. Colour is deployed abrasively— greens, searing reds, inky blacks, and electric blues collide without harmony. The result is a chaotic accumulation of houses, structures, and vegetal forms that appear to lurch and scatter.

Key Highlights of the Auction

Some of the notable aspects of the Masters Legacy sale include:

• Works by major modernists such as M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, and F. N. Souza
• Sculptures by Ramkinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, and Himmat Shah
• Rare works on paper by V. S. Gaitonde

• Important paintings representing diverse modernist movements in India

Collectors and art enthusiasts can explore the complete list of works through www.astaguru.com

Takeaway

With its focus on historically important works and influential artists, Masters Legacy offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of modern Indian art across several decades. By bringing together paintings and sculptures that reflect key artistic movements, the auction highlights the enduring influence of modernist ideas and the artists who shaped India’s visual culture.

Art Pop Up Opens in Kochi

Mado Studio in Kochi will host a curated art pop up from 13th to 15th March. The exhibition will run daily from 11 am to 7 pm at the studio space in the city. The show is curated by Srila Chatterjee and will feature original artworks available from Rs 3000 onwards.

Event at a Glance

Architecture Studio Hosts Art Event

The event is being presented at Mado Studio, an architectural and interior design practice based in Kochi that works across residential commercial and hospitality spaces. The studio was founded by architects Shreya Mathew and Siddharth Dominic and focuses on creating thoughtful design environments.
Visitors can learn more about the venue at the official website of Mado Studio.

Artworks from Across India

The exhibition brings together artworks from artists working across different regions of India. The collection includes works inspired by artistic traditions from Ladakh, Rajasthan, Bengal, Central India, Gujarat and Kochi. The exhibition also features a mix of mediums and visual styles that reflect the diversity of Indian art practices.

Folk and Contemporary Art Together

Visitors will find traditional and contemporary forms displayed together in one space. The collection includes Thangka, Pichwai, Pattachitra, Gond, Ajrakh, and Sohrai artworks along with hand pulled limited edition prints, watercolours, contemporary canvases and art objects.

Artists Featured in the Show

The exhibition includes works by well known artists such as Venkat Raman Singh, Shyam and Jogen Chowdhury. Alongside them the show features contemporary practitioners including Ruchi Bakshi Sharma, Zainab Tambawalla and Tushar Tanwar among others. This mix of artists reflects both established traditions and emerging voices in Indian art.

Making Art Accessible

The curatorial approach behind the exhibition focuses on accessibility and everyday engagement with art. All artworks on display are original and certified. By keeping the price range accessible the exhibition aims to encourage new collectors and audiences to experience art in a more approachable way.

Takeaway

The art pop up at Mado Studio offers visitors in Kochi an opportunity to explore artworks drawn from different regions and traditions of India. By bringing together folk masters and contemporary artists the exhibition highlights the continuing dialogue between heritage and modern artistic practices.

Gallery Pradarshak presents Threads of Solidarity, a curated group exhibition celebrating womanhood in the 115th year of International Women’s Day. The exhibition will be on view from 5th to 14th March 2026 at Gallery Pradarshak, Khar West, Mumbai 

Event at a Glance

A Collective of Diverse Artistic Voices

The exhibition brings together artists Nalini Joshi, Madhavi Joshi, Hema Mhatre, Prof. (Dr.) Kavita Singh, Satwant Singh, Monali Khatale, Surabhi Gulwelkar, Gayatri Mehta, Yalda Ostwar, Sunil Tambe, Pradnya More, Yashashree Sutar, and Vishal Phasale. By consciously including both women and men artists, the exhibition reinforces solidarity as a shared social consciousness rather than a gendered discourse.

Exploring Strength, Resilience and Adaptability

Through layered visual narratives, the exhibition foregrounds strength, resilience, patience, perseverance, and adaptability as enduring human virtues. The works span figurative interpretations, symbolic imagery, and explorations of colour, texture, and narrative form.

Personal Memory and Cultural Reflection

Several artists draw from lived experiences and cultural memory, transforming everyday objects, urban landscapes, and natural metaphors into reflections on continuity, connection, and self-realisation. Themes range from intimate domestic spaces and personal identity to psychological journeys and mythic symbolism.

An Experiential Engagement

Extending beyond passive viewing, the exhibition introduces an experiential element hinted at through an ongoing social media campaign. Visitors are invited to discover a surprise within the gallery space, encouraging personal reflection and deeper engagement with the theme of womanhood.

Takeaway

Through thoughtful curation and an intimate setting, Threads of Solidarity positions art as a space of recognition and connection. The exhibition celebrates womanhood not as a singular narrative, but as an interwoven continuum sustained by collective kinship. Open to all, with artworks available for purchase, the show offers both reflection and dialogue in the heart of Mumbai.