It’s not often that the answer to a question or the solution to a problem presents itself instantly. It requires reflection, a little figurative or literal head-scratching, and sustained focus before clarity emerges. Following a similar blueprint, In the Viewing Room, a showcase in Hyderabad featuring fifteen artists, refrains from offering a singular point of view or theme. Instead, everything is presented as an open-ended proposition, inviting viewers to form connections, make associations, and arrive at their own conclusions.
Among the featured artists is Bhanuprakash Ram, whose work explores the dialogue between tradition and lived experience through Mysore Rosewood Inlay. Trained in the GI-tagged craft, the Mysuru-based artisan uses carefully selected natural woods to build his artworks layer by layer, transforming the material into both canvas and archive.
“There’s more to wood than meets the eye,” says Bhanuprakash. “What interests me deeply is its ability to carry emotion.”Many of the objects featured in his work are drawn from everyday life. “A ladder represents effort and movement. A traditional iron represents domestic labour, care, and the unseen work that goes into maintaining a home and family,” he explains.
His work is deeply personal, honouring tools and objects that have quietly served generations. “Heritage is not only found in monuments and palaces—it is also present in homes, everyday tools, and objects that carry memory of daily lives.”
Similarly, artist Chinmayee Behera’s practice is rooted in her relationship with nature. Drawing from memories of her rural upbringing changing landscapes and the fragile relationship between human life and the natural environment. Through her oil paintings, she foregrounds ecological concerns while reflecting on humanity’s role in shaping the future.
“What sort of planet will we inherit, and what portion of it will we save?” she asks. The question lies at the heart of her work, where beauty and destruction exist uneasily. By drawing attention to environmental crises, Chinmayee hopes to foster a deeper awareness of humankind’s interconnectedness with nature while also highlighting the resilience of human imagination in times of uncertainty.
For artist Kulu Ojha, architecture, memory, and transformation form the foundation of his practice. Working primarily with handmade paper, he reinterprets architectural motifs to create hybrid visual worlds that blur the boundaries between history and imagination.
“My work is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of my home region of Odisha,” says Kulu, who often incorporates elements of temple architecture into his compostions. “My way of working is as unique as it is time-consuming,” he adds.
Describing his pieces as “spatial experiences,” Kulu believes they directly affect the viewer, opening a dialogue between the inner and outer worlds, between what is seen and what is imagined. At the heart of his practice is an ongoing effort to connect the past and the present, creating spaces where memory, architecture, and experience meet.
On view till August 18, 11 am to 7 pm. At Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills.