A new group exhibition titled The Anatomy of Wonder will open at Anant Art in New Delhi on 10 September 2026, bringing together the works of Aditya Puthur, Anikesa Dhing, Dhiraj Rabha, Tito Stanley S.J. and Laxmipriya Panigrahi. The exhibition explores dreams, mythology, memory and the subconscious through a range of visual languages, examining how surrealist approaches continue to evolve in contemporary artistic practice.

Revisiting Surrealism Through Contemporary Contexts

According to the exhibition statement, The Anatomy of Wonder looks at the legacy of Surrealism beyond its European origins and considers how artists today engage with imagination, irrationality and subjective experience. Drawing on painting, drawing, installation and mixed media, the exhibition presents works that challenge linear narratives and invite viewers to engage intuitively with layered emotional and cultural realities.

The exhibition references the historical roots of Surrealism, particularly the movement’s engagement with dreams and the unconscious following the upheavals of the First World War. In this contemporary iteration, those ideas are reconsidered through personal histories, folklore, ecological concerns and questions of identity.

Five Artists, Distinct Visual Languages

The exhibition brings together five artists whose practices approach wonder and imagination from different perspectives.

Featured artists include:

• Aditya Puthur, whose work investigates the human body through intersections of art, medicine and biology.
• Anikesa Dhing, known for paintings that examine everyday objects through vibrant and surreal visual narratives.
• Dhiraj Rabha, whose interdisciplinary practice engages with memory, identity and community histories.
• Laxmipriya Panigrahi, recognised for miniature-inspired landscapes influenced by Odisha’s artistic traditions.
• Tito Stanley S.J., whose allegorical paintings draw upon experiences of migration, belonging and cultural memory.

Collectively, their works create what the gallery describes as alternate worlds where fantasy, memory and speculation intersect.

Wonder as a Method of Inquiry

Mamta Singhania, Founder-Director of Anant Art, describes the exhibition as an invitation to observe the world from a position of wonder. The participating artists, she notes, present works shaped through the development of personal visual vocabularies that engage with memory, myth, fantasy and emotion.

The exhibition arrives at a moment when issues such as ecological uncertainty, displacement, digital saturation and fragmented identities continue to influence artistic production. Within this context, the exhibition proposes imagination not as an escape from reality but as a means of understanding and responding to it.

About Anant Art

Founded in 2003 by Mamta Singhania, Anant Art has established itself as a platform for contemporary South Asian art through exhibitions, publications, residencies and public programmes. The gallery supports both established and emerging artists and has expanded its activities through initiatives such as Studio Catalyst and the Anant Foundation for the Arts. The organisation continues to focus on long-term artistic development and public engagement within contemporary art discourse.

Additional information available through the gallery’s official platforms highlights its ongoing commitment to presenting conceptually driven contemporary practices and fostering dialogue between artists, institutions and audiences.

Exhibition Details

Conclusion

By bringing together five emerging and mid-career artists, The Anatomy of Wonder explores how imagination continues to function as a critical artistic tool in contemporary society. Through works shaped by memory, mythology, personal histories and speculative thinking, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on alternative ways of seeing and understanding the world. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing conversations about the role of art in navigating cultural, social and emotional realities.

Anant Art Gallery in New Delhi will present Phantasms in the Hold, a solo exhibition by Thamshangpha ‘Merci’ Maku, opening to the public on 10 September 2026. Curated by Anna Sireiliu Charenamei and Sohorpem Kazingmei, with curatorial advice from Shaleen Wadhwana, the exhibition brings together painting, ceramics and installation works that explore memory, identity and the experience of life in India’s borderland regions. The exhibition will preview on 9 September 2026 and remain on view until 31 October 2026.

Exploring the Borderland as Place and Condition

At the centre of the exhibition is Maku’s engagement with histories and experiences that often remain overlooked in mainstream narratives. Phantasms in the Hold examines the borderland not only as a geographical territory but also as an interior psychological and emotional condition. Through his works, the artist reflects on experiences of occupation, violence, homesickness and melancholy, and how these realities become embedded within the body and memory.

The exhibition also considers how communities preserve histories through inherited knowledge systems. Maku draws inspiration from the non-representational visual languages used by women weavers in his community, where elements of nature are translated into abstract motifs passed down through generations. These traditions inform a practice that moves fluidly across painting, weaving, ceramics and installation.

Art Rooted in Indigenous Knowledge

Born in Chandel, Manipur, Thamshangpha ‘Merci’ Maku completed his Bachelor’s degree at the College of Art, New Delhi, before earning a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. His artistic practice draws extensively from tribal Naga cultural traditions, indigenous flora and fauna, and the interconnected relationship between people and their natural environment.

The artist’s work frequently addresses the socio-cultural realities of peripheral regions while reflecting on personal experiences of discrimination, alienation and xenophobia. These experiences have shaped a body of work that explores resilience, belonging and cultural continuity through contemporary artistic forms.

A Language of Symbols and Spectral Forms

Across the exhibition, viewers will encounter recurring symbols, fragmented figures and layered visual narratives. Maku describes these motifs as a conversation between his body, the land and memory. Spectral figures appear throughout the works, often suspended between vulnerability and resistance, while references to forests, rituals and traditional craft practices create a dialogue between personal and collective histories.

Exhibition Highlights

• New paintings examining memory, displacement and identity
• Ceramic and installation works informed by indigenous craft traditions
• References to community histories, ecology and ritual practices
• Explorations of personal and collective experiences of belonging
• The artist’s first major solo exhibition at Anant Art Gallery

Curatorial Perspectives

Curators Anna Sireiliu Charenamei and Sohorpem Kazingmei note that the exhibition seeks to present the complexity of Maku’s practice beyond political narratives alone. Alongside themes of conflict and marginalisation, the exhibition also highlights the artist’s everyday interests, personal reflections and imaginative worlds.

Curatorial Advisor Shaleen Wadhwana describes the exhibition as an invitation into the artist’s inner landscape, connecting community archives, terrariums, ecological concerns and personal memory. Together, these elements create a broader reflection on care, preservation and cultural continuity.

About Anant Art Gallery

Established in the early 2000s, Anant Art Gallery has built a reputation for presenting contemporary South Asian artistic practices through exhibitions, residencies and art fair participation. Based in Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, the gallery works with both emerging and established artists across a range of media and disciplines, supporting long-term artistic development and public engagement.

Visitor Information

Conclusion

Through painting, ceramics and installation, Phantasms in the Hold offers a nuanced exploration of memory, identity and cultural inheritance. By drawing attention to histories and experiences that often remain on the margins, the exhibition creates space for dialogue around belonging, resilience and the relationship between people, place and memory. In doing so, it contributes to broader conversations about contemporary art’s role in preserving cultural narratives while imagining new possibilities for the future.

Nature Morte will mark its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new permanent gallery space at A9 Gulmohar Park, New Delhi. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition, The Evolution of the Soothsayer, curated by Peter Nagy, opens on 23 August 2026 and brings together works by 35 artists from the gallery’s roster. Presented in two chapters running until 12 December 2026, the exhibition reflects on the changing role of contemporary artists amid major cultural, technological and social transformations.

A New Chapter for the Gallery

The opening represents a significant milestone for Nature Morte, one of India’s most influential contemporary art galleries. Founded in New York’s East Village in 1982 and revived in New Delhi by Peter Nagy in 1997, the gallery has played a prominent role in supporting experimental and contemporary artistic practices in India for nearly three decades. Over the years, it has developed an international presence through participation in major art fairs and collaborations with artists from India and abroad.

Exhibition Reflects on Contemporary Practice

Curated by Peter Nagy, The Evolution of the Soothsayer examines how artists respond to a rapidly changing world shaped by globalisation, identity politics and advances in digital technology. Rather than presenting a unified movement or artistic trend, the exhibition focuses on individual practices that have evolved through sustained engagement with materials, ideas and forms.

The exhibition proposes the artist as a figure navigating uncertainty and change while creating new ways of understanding contemporary life. Through diverse artistic approaches, the participating artists explore how visual culture continues to evolve in the 21st century.

Works Across Multiple Mediums

The exhibition features works spanning painting, sculpture, photography, installation and new media, reflecting the range of contemporary artistic practices represented by the gallery.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

• Participation of 35 artists from Nature Morte’s roster
• Works across traditional and emerging artistic mediums
• Installations incorporating new technologies and digital approaches
• A two-part curatorial structure extending over four months
• Reflection on four decades of changes in the global art landscape

The exhibition emphasises artistic independence and long-term research-based practices rather than thematic uniformity.

Two-Part Format

The Evolution of the Soothsayer will unfold in two chapters, allowing visitors to engage with different aspects of the exhibition over several months.

This extended format creates space for ongoing dialogue around the ideas explored by the participating artists while enabling the gallery to present a broad range of works and perspectives.

A Purpose-Built Venue

Located in Gulmohar Park, the new gallery occupies an entire building featuring two exhibition floors and a rooftop terrace. The expanded infrastructure is expected to support larger exhibitions, collaborations and public programmes in the future.

The move signals a new phase for Nature Morte, which has operated from several locations in Delhi and beyond while maintaining a reputation for presenting experimental and concept-driven contemporary art. The gallery is currently led by co-directors Aparajita Jain and Peter Nagy.

Looking Back and Ahead

Beyond its role as an inaugural exhibition, The Evolution of the Soothsayer serves as a reflection on Nature Morte’s three-decade history. The exhibition brings together artists and practices that have shaped the gallery’s programme while also considering future directions for contemporary art.

As the gallery enters its fourth decade, the exhibition offers an opportunity to revisit the evolution of artistic practice alongside broader social and technological shifts. By bringing together established and emerging voices, the project highlights the continuing role of contemporary art in examining change, questioning assumptions and creating new frameworks for understanding the world.

Takeaway

The opening of Nature Morte’s new Gulmohar Park space marks both an institutional milestone and a moment of reflection for contemporary art in India. Through The Evolution of the Soothsayer, the gallery revisits the artistic journeys that have shaped its programme while creating a platform for future conversations. The exhibition offers audiences an opportunity to engage with diverse artistic practices and consider how contemporary artists continue to respond to an increasingly complex cultural landscape.