Emerging artist Meenakshi Nihalani’s Seven Yards of Blue is on display in Mumbai

Meenakshi Nihalani is a recognised emerging artist by the Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art gallery in Mumbai and her thoughtful installations are on display currently

Ontology of suicide by Meenakshi Nihalani

Published on:

17 Oct 2025, 5:56 am

Updated on:

17 Oct 2025, 5:56 am

2 min read

The Seven Yards of Blue, a collection of thought-provoking art installations is currently on display at Anupa Mehta contemporary Art in Mumbai. Conceptualised by emerging artist Meenakshi Nihalani, the exhibition is curated by Anupa Mehta. Nihalani, comes across as the first awardee of The Emerging Solo Artist Award by the gallery and her works are displayed in the ongoing solo.

Meenakshi Nihalani’s installations draw from Mahatma Gandhi’s letters around the Champaran Satyagraha

The works are inspired on Mahatma Gandhi’s letters during the Champaran Satyagraha and their effects on the farmers of the country. It is all the more relevant to have it showcased in the month of October which also celebrates Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Focusing on socio-political subjects, it is the debut project by the artist which was developed during her residency at the Hampi Art Labs.

Rewinding a little, the Champaran Satyagraha was a movement lead by Gandhi in 1917. It was said to be the first structured civil disobedience movement in Indian history. The meticulous approach, slowly but steadily, led to the awareness regarding forced indigo cultivation. For the unaware, indigo crops when cultivated in a land, rendered the land unable to grow any other crops. This meant that someone into Indigo farming would have to carry on with it. Now, Indigo farming was almost forced upon the farmers during the colonial rule and after a point in time, they started retaliating against it.

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What lay in the fields by Meenakshi Nihalani

Nihalani’s works are immersive, interactive and interpretative which combines textures and sculptures to explore the conditions of these indigo farmers. It creates a very interesting but nuanced dialogue between the past and the present. Curator Anupa Mehta mentions, “This exhibition allows us to reflect on the enduring relevance of resistance, justice, and self-reliance. We hope to keep inspiring fresh new talent to express their views on relevant socio-political and economic events through contemporary art.”

What: Seven Yards of Blue

Where: Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art, Mumbai

When: till October 25, 2025

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