10 MUST-SEE ART EXHIBITIONS AT MUMBAI GALLERY WEEKEND 2025

10 MUST-SEE ART EXHIBITIONS AT MUMBAI GALLERY WEEKEND 2025

In the last few years, Mumbai’s art scene has taken center stage in India, largely due to the initiatives of commercial galleries and gallerists in this economic hub — making it an art district. To start the new year, Mumbai Gallery Weekend was held from January 9–12, featuring over 30 exhibitions across prominent galleries and private museums. Alongside gallery displays, photographer Ram Rahman has curated a showcase of Jyoti Bhatt’s black-and-white documentary photographs at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, while the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation is hosting Dayanita Singh’s solo exhibition, “Photo Lies.”

Aravani Art Project, Prathi - Bimba (One's own Reflection) Mirror Episode 1, 2024

Photo courtesy: Gallery XXL

Although the Gallery Weekend has wrapped up, many exhibitions are still running. Here’s our selection of must-see shows at Mumbai’s galleries.

1. Aravani Art Project — On the Cusp of the Eighth Day

Gallery XXL

January 9–February 28, 2025  

Led by Poornima Sukumar from Bangalore, the Aravani Art Project is a collective of Indian trans- and cis-women focused on raising awareness and advocating for LGBTQ+ communities through public art. Marking their nine-year journey, the collective’s first solo exhibition at Gallery XXL, “On the Cusp of the Eighth Day,” showcases works by Indian LGBTQ+ artists, celebrating their diverse, intersectional stories and highlighting the societal impact of art and the dialogues it initiates.

Installation view of Christopher Kulendran Thomas , Exhale, Experimenter – Colaba , Mumbai, 2025

Photo courtesy: Experimenter, Colaba and Abner Fernandes

2. Christopher Kulendran Thomas — Exhale

Experimenter, Colaba  

January 9–February 22, 2025  

Berlin-based Christopher Kulendran Thomas, renowned for his exploration of generative AI, presents his inaugural exhibition in India. The show critiques the fluid boundaries between human and machine creativity by transforming AI-generated visuals into expressive human brushstrokes. His paintings delve into Sri Lanka’s colonial history, questioning the notions of individuality and freedom in Europe’s colonial narrative, while exploring identity and image-making in postcolonial South Asia.

Parul Gupta, #204, 2024

Photo courtesy: Nature Morte

3. Parul Gupta — In Praise of Limits

Nature Morte  

January 9–February 23, 2025

Parul Gupta’s seemingly simple artworks reveal intricate perceptual experiences over time. Her overlapping lines and layered squares evoke architectural spaces, transforming static exhibition areas into dynamic entities. In “In Praise of Boundaries,” Gupta draws inspiration from minimalist figures like Rachel Whiteread, Robert Irwin, and Nasreen Mohamedi, exploring the poetry of form and space and challenging the limits of perception.

Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, Untitled (Ship 1), 2024

Photo courtesy: Chatterjee & Lal

4. Kausik Mukhopadhyay — And I Want To Travel Unseen

Chatterjee & Lal  

January 9–February 28, 2025  

Indian artist Kausik Mukhopadhyay’s installations, crafted from repurposed electronics and household items, balance whimsy with unease. In his second solo exhibition at Chatterjee & Lal, Mukhopadhyay’s large sculptures resemble ships and watchtowers, commenting on the growing surveillance culture. The exhibition, titled “And I Want To Travel Unseen,” draws from Leonard Cohen’s haunting lyrics in “Suzanne,” reflecting contemporary societal concerns.

Intallation view of Atul Dodiya’s work presented during Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2025

Photo courtesy: Chemould Prescott Road

5. Atul Dodiya — Radio Ceylon Paintings: Volume 1

Chemould Prescott Road  

January 9–February 22, 2025  

Atul Dodiya, a chronicler of India’s modern history, presents “Radio Ceylon Paintings: Volume 1,” creating a gallery of India’s past. His canvases feature a plethora of figures from Hindi cinema’s Golden Age (late 1940s–’60s), celebrating a period of significant cultural transformation following India’s independence.

Soghra Khurasani, Grounded (to remain)- 3, 2024

Photo courtesy: TARQ

6. Soghra Khurasani — Grounded

TARQ  

January 9–February 15, 2025

In her fourth solo exhibition at TARQ, Vadodara-based artist Soghra Khurasani showcases woodcut and etching prints that explore the connection between self and nature. Her works synthesise organic textures such as grass, soil, water, and the human form, emphasising our interconnectedness and rootedness in an increasingly fragmented world.

Santiago Giralda, The Passage, 2024

Photo courtesy: Galerie Isa

7. Santiago Giralda — Maps of the Invisible

Galerie Isa  

January 9–February 22, 2025  

“Maps of the Invisible,” a solo exhibition by Spanish artist Santiago Giralda, will be displayed at Galerie ISA. His four-meter triptych exemplifies his vibrant color palette and texture. Revisiting themes of landscapes in art history, Giralda examines the future of painting in a digitised world, encouraging reflection on the interplay between reality and the virtual, nature, technology, and self.

Installation view of Shailee Mehta’s work presented during Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2025

Photo courtesy: Chemould CoLab

8. Shailee Mehta — Chants from the Hollow

Chemould CoLab  

January 9–February 22, 2025  

Created across three cities, Shailee Mehta’s “Chants from the Hollow” captures empathetic encounters where body and land intertwine in tension and beauty. Through delicate gestures, her paintings focus on the female body, exploring themes of self-reflection, care, and collective empowerment through a female perspective.

Installation view of Rana Begum’s work presented during Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2025

Photo courtesy: Jhaveri Contemporary

9. Rana Begum  

Jhaveri Contemporary  

January 9–February 22, 2025  

London-based artist Rana Begum’s solo exhibition at Jhaveri Contemporary features abstract, geometric sculptures and watercolor paintings that investigate the interaction of light, color, form, and space. Notable works include “No. 974” and her Relief Panel series, which offer a meditative exploration of perspective and time.

Prajakta Potnis, Rivers in the Sky VIII, 2024

Photo courtesy: Project 88

10. Prajakta Potnis — Where Should the Birds Fly After the Last Sky?

Project 88 

January 9–February 28, 2025  

Prajakta Potnis’s solo exhibition at Project 88, titled after Mahmoud Darwish’s reflections, explores the eerie aspects of everyday domesticity. Her paintings on slate stone visualise intangible states like trauma through careful interplay of medium, texture, and density, bridging the personal and the external world.

Text by Shalini Passi

Image Courtesy: Gallery XXL, Experimenter, Colaba, Nature Morte, Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, TARQ, Galerie Isa, Chemould CoLab, Jhaveri Contemporary, Project 88

Find out more about Mumbai Gallery Weekend 2025:

https://www.mumbaigalleryweekend.com/

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