‘Memory | Remains’: An exhibition revisiting Indian modernism

An exhibition titled Memory | Remains, bringing together works by Krishen Khanna and Prabhakar Kolte, is currently underway at Thapar Gallery. On view until February 28, 2026, the exhibition revisits Indian modernism through two distinct artistic practices that continue to engage with history, memory and everyday experience.

Rather than presenting the artists as canonical “masters”, Memory | Remains frames modernism as a living, evolving process. Through Khanna’s figurative paintings and Kolte’s abstract compositions, the exhibition traces how social memory and lived realities surface through image, form and material.

Krishen Khanna, associated with the Progressive Artists’ movement, draws closely from everyday life. His paintings focus on ordinary figures—bandwallas, refugees and migrant workers—set within streets, processions and public spaces. Shaped by experiences of Partition, migration and post-Independence India, his works capture moments of observation rather than specific historical events.

In contrast, Prabhakar Kolte’s practice moves away from recognisable imagery. His abstract works employ layered surfaces, restrained colour palettes and subtle shifts in texture to explore how meaning can emerge without figuration. Kolte’s paintings invite viewers to engage slowly with the physical qualities of paint, surface and space.

Seen together, the works suggest that Indian modernism extends beyond a fixed period or style. Memory | Remains positions modernism as an ongoing conversation—one that remains deeply connected to history, society and the everyday.

When: Until February 28; 11 AM to 7 PM

Where: Thapar Gallery, The One, Kapashera Estate, New Delhi