The Royal Academy of Arts in London presents "A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle," a visually thrilling exhibition running from 31 October 2025 to 24 February 2026. Curated by Tarini Malik, the show pivots around the work of Mrinalini Mukherjee (1949-2015), placing her in dialogue with key figures of the Indian cultural scene, including her parents Benode Behari Mukherjee and Leela Mukherjee, as well as artists Gulammohammed Sheikh and Nilima Sheikh. The exhibition highlights Mukherjee's hemp sculptures like 'Adi Pushp II' (1998-99) and bronze works such as 'Forest Flame IV' (2009), and emphasizes the importance of art schools and places—Santiniketan, Baroda (Vadodara), and New Delhi—in shaping her practice.
This exhibition matters because it reframes Mukherjee's work not in isolation but as part of a broader network of artists, teachers, and institutions, telling a new story of South Asian art as a space of dialogue and plurality. By focusing on intellectual and artistic lineages, it challenges Western-centric narratives of modernism and highlights the role of community and shared learning in artistic development. The show is a revelation that underscores the richness of South Asian modern and contemporary art, offering a fresh perspective on how tradition and experimentation coexist.