A solo exhibition titled Sukoon (The Illustrated Silence) by Jaipur-based artist Monica Sharda will open at the Main Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi, on January 16. Curated by Johny ML, the exhibition will remain on view till January 20.
The exhibition explores ideas of calm, contemplation and spiritual inquiry through layered painterly narratives that draw from mythology, folklore and cross-cultural spiritual traditions. Sharda’s works examine how mythological structures and primal sound—particularly the concept of the primordial voice—shape collective consciousness across cultures.
While engaging with history, the artist also turns to subconscious and symbolic registers, drawing inspiration from folk and tribal traditions encountered during her travels across different countries. These encounters, she notes, resonated more deeply than contemporary visual idioms, prompting a renewed engagement with India’s mythic traditions.
Sharda’s paintings treat time as layered and non-linear, with narratives emerging and dissolving across surfaces. The works reference spiritual sound forms such as Om, while acknowledging parallel concepts across cultures, situating her practice within a broader global spiritual framework.
According to curator Johny ML, Sharda’s works align with meditative art traditions, where image-making is not merely aesthetic but contemplative. He notes that her process-driven approach, with layered symbolism and narrative depth, distinguishes the works from Western modernist traditions.
The exhibition will be formally inaugurated in the presence of cultural figures and arts administrators.
When: January 16 to 20
Where: Main Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi
