A new exhibition opening in the capital this October is set to spotlight India’s century-long journey of sculptural modernism, a story of artistic evolution from sacred forms to bold, experimental expressions.
Titled “Sculpting the Century”, the landmark show brings together the works of 23 artists whose creations have shaped and redefined modern Indian aesthetics. Curated by noted art critic and curator Yashodhara Dalmia, the exhibition opens at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi, from 5 to 13 October, 2025, organized jointly by The Raza Foundation and Progressive Art Gallery.
Featuring a constellation of masters — from Ramkinkar Baij, M.F. Husain, and Satish Gujral to Himmat Shah, Meera Mukherjee, Akbar Padamsee, and S.H. Raza — the exhibition traces India’s modern awakening through the language of sculpture. It celebrates the tactile power of form in an era increasingly defined by the digital and the ephemeral.
“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.
At the heart of the exhibition lies a dialogue between tradition and modernity. The pioneering works of Ramkinkar Baij at Santiniketan, with his monumental compositions in concrete and laterite, paved the way for later generations. Artists such as Sankho Chaudhuri, Dhanraj Bhagat, Chintamani Kar, Amarnath Sehgal, S. Dhanpal, Himmat Shah, Pradosh Das Gupta, Meera Mukherjee, Somnath Hore, S.K. Bakre, and more recently K.S. Radhakrishnan and Mrinalini Mukherjee, continued this evolution by working across wood, metal, stone, bronze, fibre, and terracotta to explore the modern human condition.
“This exhibition honours that legacy and presents works that reflect the diversity, depth, and vitality of Indian sculpture,” said Singh.
Ashok Vajpeyi, Life & Managing Trustee, The Raza Foundation, described the show as a rare and historic event. “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,” he said.
Among the recurring motifs explored in the exhibition is the human head — a theme approached differently by many artists. Akbar Padamsee’s bronze heads, for instance, were integral to his figurative practice; he believed that sculpture’s contours shift endlessly as the viewer moves, offering “one billion possibilities” of seeing. Similarly, Himmat Shah’s terracotta and bronze heads, B. Vithal’s sculpted visages such as his portrait of J.R.D. Tata, and Somnath Hore’s interpretation of Rabindranath Tagore reveal distinct meditations on the human face and spirit.
Music also finds powerful expression in this sculptural narrative. Krishen Khanna’s “bandwallas,” M.F. Husain’s drummers and apsaras, and S. Nandagopal’s elaborate metal tableaux featuring floating musicians evoke the rhythm and movement of performance through form.
A highlight of the show is the seminal Santhal Family — a bronze rendition of Ramkinkar Baij’s groundbreaking work originally modeled in cement and plaster. Depicting a tribal family migrating in search of sustenance, the sculpture stands as both an artistic milestone and a poignant reminder of the human cost of the 1943 Bengal famine.
“Sculpting the Century” thus offers more than a chronological survey — it captures a century of creative resilience, experimentation, and renewal. “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, the show’s curator.Through its array of modern masters and timeless creations, “Sculpting the Century” reminds audiences that in the evolving story of Indian art, sculpture continues to embody both the continuity of tradition and the urgency of modern expression.
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