Neha Sahai’s The Friend That I Never Had examines unfulfilled companionship

How often when you are in state of contemplation do you go back and think about the friendships and companionships you have had in your life … and those that you didn’t? In those instances do you ever think of how you would have liked to see the course of your friendship steer but it never did bend that way? The Friend That I Never Had by Neha Sahai, currently on display at Edge at LATITUDE 28, is not only a new body of work by the artist but also a keen look into the depth of our consciousness, about the friendships, companionships and relations we have fostered or would like to.

What makes Neha Sahai’s works unparallel and worth a visit?

One striking feature about the artworks is that the figures had fish heads. Her visual language, shaped through reduction, softened contours and the reduction of details, pushes the focus on the posture, distance and the space between two or more figures.  Human and animal forms co-exist and every work is an enquiry into relation, intimacy and relations which are never fully realised in the everyday life. These artworks give off a sense of repetition and a path of companionship without concrete narrative of complete conclusion.  

This is true to her visual language which, in general, is in a constant conversation between autobiography, memory and imagined forms. Her works form a visual language of her own which she states in her own words as, “I didn’t understand the language around me, so I made my own and painted it”. She took to paintings in her thirties and has now build a world of her own which constantly compels viewers to stop and look at her interesting figures and forms which act as companions, doubles and witnesses.

Bhavna Kakar, founder-director of LATITUDE 28 mentions, “We are drawn to practices that hold their ground with clarity and conviction. Neha’s work does this with a remarkable sense of restraint. There is an immediacy to her paintings that draws you in, and a complexity that unfolds slowly. The figures feel familiar, yet they do not settle into recognition. They remain with you. What is particularly compelling is the world she builds through very little. The forms are minimal, the space is reduced, and yet the work carries a strong emotional presence. In a moment of constant visual noise, Neha’s work creates a space for attention, for pause, and for a quieter form of engagement.”

Another way the artist- curators have made this exhibition interesting is to include Sahai’s studio experience as part of the experience. This not only give the viewers an idea of how the paintings are made but also a glimpse into understanding the layers that are on the canvas. The Friend That I Never Had brings to the viewers the story of incomplete relationships and yet how the figures continue to exist in a quiet, sustained proximity.

What: The Friend That I Never Had

Where: Edge at LATITUDE 28, New Delhi

When: till April 28, 2026

Timings: 11 am - 7 pm (everyday)

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