Lakeeren- The Contemporary Art Gallery

Lakeeren- The Contemporary Art Gallery Lakeeren Gallery, exhibits avant–garde contemporary art practices with a special emphasis for curating & presenting art that reflects the zeitgeist.

Join us for a SUMMER SOLSTICE MEDITATIONwith Sharmistha Ray June 21 | Global Online InvocationPart of the exhibition Cos...
06/17/2025

Join us for a SUMMER SOLSTICE MEDITATION
with Sharmistha Ray
June 21 | Global Online Invocation
Part of the exhibition Cosmic Frequencies: Consciousness and Quantum Cosmology in Art
7:30 PM India Time - 10AM New York Time

———
On June 21st, the Summer Solstice—the longest day of the year—the Earth reaches a moment of perfect solar alignment. This is a time to pause, reflect, and connect with expanded clarity. Across cultures, the Solstice has marked a powerful threshold: a space to set intentions, honour growth, and align with the energy of becoming.

This meditation invites you to ground yourself, clarify your purpose, and attune to a higher frequency of awareness. In this shared moment across time zones and geographies, we open a portal for transformation—where vision, energy, and conscious intention shape the path ahead. Join us for this special moment of alignment with Sharmistha.

Register here to save your spot :
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ddyfCijGTD2QkvbOSQ2l1JlPNfIMwFIm_ctY2FUslD0/edit

The Exhibition as Manifesto: Rethinking Indian Art Through Curatorial ActsIf you are in Chicago, I would love to see you...
04/13/2025

The Exhibition as Manifesto: Rethinking Indian Art Through Curatorial Acts

If you are in Chicago, I would love to see you at my talk tomorrow at the School of Art Institute of Chicago.
Over the past three decades, my curatorial practice has functioned as a critical and political intervention within the context of India’s evolving contemporary art landscape. It has interrogated the mechanisms of exhibition-making, disrupted dominant art-historical canons, and engaged with postcolonial and decolonial aesthetics. In a country where artistic modernity has been shaped by colonial legacies, nationalist frameworks, and globalization, curating is not a neutral act but a mode of knowledge production—one that negotiates India’s complex artistic genealogies while reframing its place in global contemporary art discourse.
This talk builds on my forthcoming anthology, critically reflects on the history of several large-scale exhibitions curated by me. In the talk I highlight, about five such exhibitions—each distinct in its conceptual framework, philosophical engagement, and socio-political critique. From challenging institutional structures to foregrounding marginalized histories, these exhibitions have forged new epistemologies that respond to India’s historical urgencies and aesthetic paradigms. By examining curating as world-making, I propose exhibition-making as a historiographical and speculative act—one that constructs new ways of seeing, remembering, and imagining India’s artistic future.

Shaurya Kumar’s Living Without the Gods at the South Asia Institute, Chicago curated by Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala interroga...
04/13/2025

Shaurya Kumar’s Living Without the Gods at the South Asia Institute, Chicago curated by Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala interrogates the intersection of iconoclasm, cultural destruction, and the transient nature of sacredness. In an era of ideological and religious fractures, his work compels us to reconsider the fate of sacred objects and sites when they are uprooted from their devotional contexts. Through an innovative blend of digital technology, printmaking, and sculpture, Kumar reconstructs historical narratives and challenges conventional preservation practices that have long contributed to the erasure of spiritual meaning.

At its core, Living Without the Gods is a meditation on profound loss—loss of identity, cultural memory, and, most poignantly, the divine. Kumar’s practice exposes the brutal legacy of colonial expropriation and the illicit trade in religious artifacts, drawing inspiration from real-world scandals such as Subhash Kapoor’s smuggling of antique idols. By critically engaging with these narratives, the exhibition reveals the ethical and political dimensions of cultural displacement. Sacred objects, once integral to communal ritual life and embodiments of living divinity, are transformed into commodities; their afterlives become emblematic of a broader historical rupture that continues to reverberate across societies.

A central aspect of Kumar’s approach is his examination of the movement of sacred objects from temples to public and private collections. This transition constitutes a violent epistemic shift. Art history, steeped in colonial paradigms, has reclassified objects of worship as aesthetic artifacts, ethnographic specimens, or elements of cultural heritage. Yet, once confined to climate-controlled vitrines, this sacred presence is disrupted, reducing the deity to a static relic viewed through a secular lens. This transition constitutes a violent epistemic shift and the exhibition unpacks these issues and several more.

Excited to be curating Shaurya Kumar’s Exhibition at South Asia Institute, Chicago Living Without the Gods which opens o...
04/03/2025

Excited to be curating Shaurya Kumar’s Exhibition at South Asia Institute, Chicago Living Without the Gods which opens on 11 th April. I will be there 4- 6 pm and look forward to meeting you.

Kumar’s exhibition interrogates the intersection of iconoclasm, cultural destruction, and the transient nature of sacredness. In an era of ideological and religious fractures, his work compels us to reconsider the fate of sacred objects and sites when they are uprooted from their devotional contexts. Through an innovative blend of digital technology, printmaking, and sculpture, Kumar reconstructs historical narratives while challenging preservation practices that have long contributed to the erasure of spiritual meaning.
Living Without the Gods is a compelling call to acknowledge the deep, unresolved ruptures wrought by the displacement of sacred objects. Shaurya Kumar’s work exposes enduring colonial legacies in the art world and challenges us to rethink the responsibilities of museums, collectors, and governments in stewarding cultural heritage. By reanimating the sensory and ritual dimensions of temple experiences—invoking the intimate act of darshan and the ephemeral allure of incense—Kumar reminds us that the recovery of sacred objects is not solely about their physical return but about restoring their spiritual essence. As we stand before these displaced deities, we are compelled to ask: What is the ultimate purpose of reclaiming these artifacts if it fails to revive the living heritage and transformative power of the sacred? This exhibition insists that our duty lies not only in returning what was taken but in reestablishing meaning, place, and active worship, so that these gods may once again illuminate our collective human experience rather than remain silent witnesses to their own erasure.

Wishing everyone a joyous and colorful Holi! I was fascinated to come across an 18th-century miniature painting by the U...
03/14/2025

Wishing everyone a joyous and colorful Holi!

I was fascinated to come across an 18th-century miniature painting by the Udaipur artist Tara that feels surprisingly contemporary. There’s something striking about how his composition captures both the chaos of Holi’s flying gulal and the strict order of courtly life. Princes and courtiers play with abandon, yet their positions remain carefully staged—an echo of how power and performance were inseparable in Indian royal culture.

What’s even more intriguing is that Tara was painting during a time of artistic transition. By the mid-19th century, European pigments (like a vivid imported green) and techniques were making their way into Indian ateliers. Tara absorbed these new materials while staying rooted in the Mewar tradition of documenting royal spectacle—whether Holi, grand processions, or hunting parties.

His Holi scenes aren’t just about celebration—they reveal how even moments of joy were choreographed to reinforce hierarchies. The painting becomes a reminder that festivals weren’t just personal or playful; they were public displays where power was performed and seen.

It makes me wonder—does this tension between freedom and structure ever truly fade? Even as we lose ourselves in the riot of colors during Holi, the invisible lines of power, hierarchy, and tradition only gives us a brief respite to the chaos we experience and the darker realities of the structures that control us that quietly persist. Maharana Sarup Singh and his Courtiers on Elephants Celebrating the Festival of Holi

Artist: Tara (Indian, active 1836–1870)

Date: 1850

Culture: India (Udaipur, Mewar, Rajasthan)

Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper

Dimensions: Overall: 35 13/16 x 50 in. (91 x 127 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Lent by Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, The City Palace Complex, Udaipur

Opening today Shadi Ghadirian - Miss Butterfly as part of the exhibition Our Stone Age, a series of photographic work a...
01/09/2025

Opening today Shadi Ghadirian - Miss Butterfly as part of the exhibition Our Stone Age, a series of photographic work at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Nariman Point as part of MGW.
The story is inspired by a text by Behzad Nejadghanbar :

Miss Butterfly is going to meet the sun, looking for a way out and reaching for the light becomes captive in spider’s web. The spider, moved by compassion after observing all the grace and delicacy in Miss Butterfly, comes to an agreement with her. She is supposed to bring one of the insects from the dark cellar and ties it up in spider’s web for him. Instead, the spider is going to lead her to the way out and to the light. But after hearing the insects’ stories the Miss Butterfly feels pity for them and eventually returns to the spider empty handed with injured wings and makes herself captive in the web to the spider’s food. Knowing the truth, the spider sets the Miss Butterfly and shows her the way out to meet the sun. The Miss Butterfly recalls all the other insects in the cellar to share her freedom with them but she gets no response. She who is so frustrated by their reaction wide opens her weary wings and flies toward the sun.

"Miss Butterfly " photo series is a story of a woman who is busy weaving spider webs on doors and windows at home. The threads that at first glance seem to be woven for protection; Protection of the home, of security, and of the entry of insects or external threats. But behind this effort lies an inner conflict: Shapark Khanom's desire to reach the light.

These images are a metaphor for the human effort to maintain borders and security against external threats, but at the same time a reflection of the desire to break these barriers to achieve enlightenment, freedom, and dreams. Spider webs, which are a symbol of control and limitation, have been artistically transformed into a bridge between inside and outside.

"Shaperak Khanom" invites the audience to think about their inner dualities: protection or liberation? Security or light? This collection is a story of a woman who lives between staying and going, between making and being free.

As we enter 2025, women worldwide continue to face deeply rooted injustices and systemic oppression despite advancements...
01/07/2025

As we enter 2025, women worldwide continue to face deeply rooted injustices and systemic oppression despite advancements in gender equality. In this context, Iranian photographer Shadi Ghadirian’s Our Stone Age at Kamalnayan Bajaj Gallery opening 9 th January, presents a profound exploration of identity, resilience, and patriarchal structures through three pivotal photographic series: Qajar (1998), Seven Stones (2013), and Miss Butterfly (2011). Ghadirian’s work transcends cultural boundaries, offering a sharp critique of the global forces shaping women’s lives.

In Qajar, Ghadirian juxtaposes 19th-century Persian portraiture with modern objects like sunglasses and soda cans, exposing the tension between tradition and contemporary life. This duality underscores the persistent societal pressures women face in reconciling historical expectations with modern realities.

Seven Stones draws on the Persian game haft sang to symbolize violence, endurance, and silenced voices. Through minimalist still life compositions, Ghadirian captures the weight of honor-based oppression, reflecting its continued presence in contemporary society.

In Miss Butterfly, inspired by Persian folklore, Ghadirian uses the butterfly as a metaphor for women’s cyclical struggle for freedom and autonomy. Its fragile beauty speaks to both vulnerability and resilience.

Ghadirian’s Our Stone Age is a powerful call to action, urging viewers to confront and dismantle entrenched patriarchal systems while honoring the resilience of women worldwide.

Excited to exhibit Iranian artist Shadi Ghadirian’s Our Stone Age which brings together three significant photographic s...
12/27/2024

Excited to exhibit Iranian artist Shadi Ghadirian’s Our Stone Age which brings together three significant photographic series—Qajar (1998), Seven Stones (2013), and Miss Butterfly (2011)—to interrogate the enduring intersections of identity, resilience, and systemic oppression. Through the lens of historical, cultural, and symbolic imagery, Ghadirian crafts a sharp critique of the global and deeply entrenched patriarchal systems that continue to shape women’s lives. In Qajar, Ghadirian recontextualizes 19th-century Qajar portraiture by integrating modern, incongruous objects like sunglasses and Pepsi cans. This juxtaposition lays bare the contradictions women face in reconciling historical expectations with modern realities, critiquing the social pressures to embody multiple, often conflicting roles. It speaks to the persistent struggle of women globally, forced to navigate cultural and societal expectations imposed by both tradition and modernity.

Seven Stones, through its minimalist yet potent use of still life, addresses themes of violence and endurance. Inspired by the Persian game haft sang, Ghadirian’s symbolic use of stones and veils highlights the pervasive weight of gender-based oppression, echoing contemporary realities of honor-based violence and the silencing of women’s voices.

In Miss Butterfly, Ghadirian extends her critique to the cyclical nature of entrapment and liberation. Drawing from Persian folklore, the butterfly becomes a poignant metaphor for women’s persistent struggle against captivity—whether physical, cultural, or psychological. Its fragile beauty underscores both the precariousness and resilience of their fight for autonomy.

By engaging with local histories while addressing universal issues, Ghadirian’s Our Stone Age critiques the structural forces that perpetuate inequality and suppression. This body of work is a call to action, demanding recognition of these oppressive systems and inspiring the pursuit of meaningful change. Through her art, Ghadirian not only documents these struggles but also empowers viewers to confront the injustices that persist in our reality.

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