The Indian Echoes of Surrealism

Curated by Rahul Kumar

New Delhi, September 2025: Art & Beyond Gallery is proud to present The Indian Echoes of Surrealism, a landmark exhibition at Bikaner House, curated by Rahul Kumar. The show explores how one of the most influential avant-garde movements of the 20th century Surrealism found resonance in the Indian imagination, transforming into a visual language uniquely its own.

Originating in Europe in the 1920s and defined by its exploration of dreams, the subconscious, and the irrational, Surrealism inspired Indian artists to look inward, interrogate colonial legacies, and give voice to a nation in transition. While Europe had a formal Surrealist movement, in India its principles

were absorbed, reinterpreted, and woven into modernism, contemporary practices, and even folk traditions.

The exhibition showcases works by modernist masters including Jagdish Swaminathan, Bikash Bhattacharjee and Prabhakar Barwe, alongside contemporary voices such as Ranbir Kaleka, Rekha Rodwittiya and G R Iranna. Collectively, they illuminate how dreamscapes, hybrid beings, and symbolic narratives became powerful tools to articulate identity, memory, spirituality, and the surreal in everyday life.

The Indian Echoes of Surrealism also celebrates how vernacular traditions and folk art shaped a uniquely Indian surreal, with artists like K.G. Subramanyan, Jyoti Bhatt, and Madhvi Parekh drawing from Kalighat painting, terracotta, and mural practices to create playful yet profound imagery that blurred the line between reality and imagination.

“Surrealism in India was never a formal movement, but its spirit was absorbed and transformed to reflect our own cultural and political realities. This exhibition traces those echoes, both subtle and bold that continue to shape the language of Indian art today.” says curator Rahul Kumar.

“At Art & Beyond, our mission is to create exhibitions that bridge India’s artistic legacy with contemporary thought. With The Indian Echoes of Surrealism, we wanted to spotlight how Indian artists reimagined a global movement through their own cultural lens transforming surrealism into something deeply personal and uniquely Indian. This exhibition is not only about art history, but about opening up new ways of looking at identity, memory, and imagination in today’s world.” — Saanya & Shriya Anand, Co-founders, Art & Beyond