Silhouettes of Shards: A solo exhibition by Palak Modi

Visual artist Palak Modi’s solo exhibition Silhouettes of Shards will be on view at Bikaner House, from August 2 to 10. Curated by Manan Shah, the show draws on psychological insight, spiritual philosophy, and lived experience to explore death and rebirth as cyclical, transformational processes.

Modi’s works span darkly layered canvases, delicate paper pieces, and textured sculptures—each material chosen for its impermanence and visceral impact. Her use of cement, ash, paper pulp, gauze, and sand becomes a meditation on the body as both fragile and resilient.

“The body of work began with a primal urge—to dismantle, to tear, to touch and reassemble,” says Modi. “They are designed to disturb and provoke, but also to create a space for stillness. Even amidst chaos, something entirely new can emerge.”

The show is rooted in a deeply personal incident: a near-fatal bus accident that became, for Modi, a moment of transition. She views that experience as a metaphorical passage through death, followed by rebirth—a central philosophy underpinning the exhibition.

Trained in psychology at Delhi University, Modi uses her academic background to inform her understanding of trauma, memory, and healing. The result is a body of work that feels intimate yet archetypal—an invitation to reflect on personal and collective impermanence.

Curator Manan Shah, known for his research-led curatorial approach and engagement with knowledge systems of antiquity, connects Modi’s work to broader traditions. “Palak’s practice reminds us that what breaks is not always lost,” he says. “There is a sacredness in rupture. Her work doesn’t offer resolution—it offers evolution.”

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The exhibition moves through a visual cycle: the dark canvases represent the weight of death, the paper works suggest the fragility of new life, and the sculptural forms signify emergence and regeneration. Across mediums, Modi’s works resist passive viewing, instead inviting deep emotional engagement.

Silhouettes of Shards is not merely an exhibition—it is an unfolding. It invites viewers to encounter themselves in transition, and to find meaning in what breaks, dissolves, and reforms.

When: August 2 –10; 11:00 AM–7:00 PM

Where: LTC, Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi