Ravi Chunchula's new works highlight the relationship between people and their surroundings
How many times have you come across a water puddle in the middle of the road and either unleashed the inner child and jumped onto it; or let it be and walk through the sides? Most of the times, your surroundings reign over your kinetic abilities to act in a certain way. This is the central theme of the upcoming show by Ravi Chunchula, curated by Archana Sapra and Pooja Bahri, and presented by Champatree Art Gallery, which opens at Bikaner House from March 6, 2026 onwards.
Ravi Chunchula's latest art exhibition at Bikaner House will kick off on March 6
This solo exhibition brings together the latest body of works by the artist in a collection called Sardhubaatu, which in Telugu means put together or arranged. The artworks reflects upon the quiet and unseen ways in which an individual builds their actions as a response to social constructs and their surroundings.
Artist Ravi Chunchula mentions, “Sardhubaatu is about the quiet process of becoming, how we are constantly shaped by what we see, where we stand, and who we are surrounded by. These works are less about telling a story and more about holding a moment where things feel temporarily aligned, even if imperfect.”
One look at the artworks and viewers will be able to notice his figurines in a static position which might seem composed and unbothered in face value, but inwards, it is all about the soul getting charged. It highlights that state of mind where an individual is negotiating with the surroundings rather than having a fixed decisiveness.
Curators Archana Sapra and Pooja Bahri comment, “Ravi’s work speaks through restraint. There is a deep attentiveness in the way his figures inhabit space-quiet, grounded, and profoundly human. With Sardhubaatu, we were drawn to how subtly the works reflect contemporary existence, without spectacle or excess, allowing viewers the space to pause and reflect.”
These works primarily have rice paper as their medium. It is because it allows the pigment to settle down organically. This symbolically reflects the meaning of the exhibition where the crux lies in how gradually and organically individuals adapt to certain things. Moreover, the stillness or subtleness is depicted thorugh a palette of greys, blues and muted vibrancy.
What: Sardhubaatu: Put together, Somehow
Where: Main Hall, Bikaner House, New Delhi
When: March 6, 2026 onwards