Tracing India’s Modern Awakening Through Sculptural Art

New Delhi: Does sculpture come to mind when one thinks of ‘modern art’? For a country known for its ancient stone deities and rock-cut masterpieces in caves, sculpture’s sharp departure from sacred to experimental, bold modern forms is quite intriguing. From Ramkinkar Baij (1906-1980) to Krishen Khanna, Gulammohammed Sheikh and K. Laxma Goud — artists living and creating even today — their timeless sculptural creations hold the essence of a milestone century for India. Now, a historic exhibition curated by one of India’s foremost art critics and curators, Yashodhara Dalmia, offers a compelling survey of modern Indian sculpture, tracing its evolution from the early 20th century modern awakening through the post-Independence era and into contemporary times.

Titled “Sculpting the Century”, the landmark exhibition showcases the works of 23 sculptors — including MF Husain, Akbar Padamsee, Amarnath Sehgal, Himmat Shah, Satish Gujral, B. Vithal, Somnath Hore, Meera Mukherjee, and SH Raza — at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi, from October 5th - 13th, 2025. It is organized by The Raza Foundation and Progressive Art Gallery.

“From the earliest terracotta figurines of the Indus Valley to the spiritual calm embodied in Buddhist stupas, the intricacies of medieval temple architecture, and the luminous elegance of the Chola bronzes, India has always been a land where sculpture has flourished as a central expression of culture. At the turn of the 20th century, as India underwent the upheavals of colonialism, independence, and a modernist awakening, sculptors began to rethink their relationship to tradition and material,” said Harsh Vardhan Singh, Director, Progressive Art Gallery.

The pioneering works of Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan, who breathed new life into form through monumental compositions of concrete and laterite, opened the path for future generations. Sculptors like Sankho Chaudhuri, Chintamani Kar, Dhanraj Bhagat, S. Dhanpal, Amarnath Sehgal, Himmat Shah, Pradosh Das Gupta, Meera Mukherjee, Somnath Hore, S.K. Bakre, and later K. S. Radhakrishnan and Mrinalini Mukherjee each carried this legacy forward. They engaged with wood, metal, stone, bronze, fibre, and terracotta, creating works that were bold, experimental, and deeply rooted in human experience.

This exhibition honours that legacy and presents works that reflect the diversity, depth, and vitality of Indian sculpture.

“Art lasts and it has been famously claimed it lasts longer than life! Be that as it may, art is a rare gift given unto us by imagination and creativity. As in other sphere of creative exploration and expression, modern Indian sculpture has inherited the great and complex traditions of Indian sculpture as well as has responded to growing modernity, equally complex and innovative. The show seeks to present a selection embodying some of the most innovative, imaginative and creative pieces sculpted by a galaxy of major sculptors and artists. Since sculpture is rarely shown all by itself, it is, we hope, a historic show,” said Ashok Vajpeyi, Life & Managing Trustee, The Raza Foundation.

While walking through the artworks on display, one can find many recurrent themes explored by the artists in their own way. The theme of the head or bust, for instance, stands out. Akbar Padamsee created bronze heads that were part of his figurative work, believing sculpture's contour constantly changes as the viewer moves, leading to "one billion possibilities" for viewing the piece. On view are Himmat Shah's terracotta and bronze heads, as well as B. Vithal's bronze head sculptures, like that of JRD Tata, focused on the human visage in all its vitality and individuality. Finally, Somnath Hore molded the head of Rabindranath Tagore, depicting his vision in the face of great challenges.

Viewers can also find music and musicians carved in sculpture by many of these artists. For instance, Krishen Khanna’s figures of the ‘bandwallas’, M.F. Husain's drummer, Apsaras and Mridang works, and S. Nandagopal's elaborate metal constructions frequently included musicians floating mid-air as part of his tableau.

On view is the seminal ‘Santhal Family’, a bronze rendition by Ramkinkar Baij, originally created using unconventional materials like cement and plaster without any casting. It depicts a Santhal tribal family, including their two children, migrating from their land in search of food and carrying all their belongings. It is seen as a searing indictment of the entirely man-made Bengal famine of 1943.

“Sculpting the Century”, thus, is a journey through a hundred years of innovation, struggle, and creation, reminding the viewer that in the vast landscape of Indian sculpture, the constant process of innovation and reinvention continues to define and enrich our reality.

“In the vast landscape of sculpture in India, the notion of innovation and reinvention play a dynamic role and introduce variations and diversions. There is an archiving of past traditions to make new assemblages, a delving into classical role models to harness local expressions and new forms and juxtapositions which articulate emergent conditions. If the path to recovery has taken a measured sense of time it has been offset with the vibrant methods which sculptors have convened to define their own realities,” said Yashodhara Dalmia, art critic and the show’s curator.

Tracing India’s Modern Awakening Through Sculptural Art

This exhibition is both a celebration and a tribute to India’s long and evolving tradition of sculpture, as well as to the visionary artists who have shaped the modern and contemporary vocabulary of this timeless art form.

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