Vividh 2016 is a groundbreaking annual exhibition of the best of contemporary Indian art and design. Offering an inspirational and comprehensive overview of the leading contemporary Indian art of the last half century, Vividh also introduces new and critically acclaimed artists and designers.

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Vividh (the word is Hindi for diversity) brings together nearly fifty works of art by the great masters of Indian art and new contemporary artists and designers from across the sub-continent and beyond. Representing the dynamic diversity that is Indian visual art, the work shown often references the country’s great changes and enormous cultural, geographical and political scope.

Visual Art UK pays special tribute to three legendary artists, KG Subramanyan, SH Raza and AA Raiba.

Syed Haider Raza (1922-2016), arguably India’s greatest painter, produced progressive work that ushered in a new modernity to Indian art. His exquisite geometric canvases brought contemporary abstraction to Indian art, taking colours and shapes from its history and creating paintings that were undeniably modern. One of the pieces in the exhibition is his trademark ‘Bindu’, which he stated to be the “centre of my life”.

Work by Kalpathi Ganpathi Subramanyan (1924-2016) included, an artist and activist known for his Gandhian ideology, and whose art came to symbolize a newly independent nation in the making.

Vivdh 2016 also includes rare works by other renowned masters including Jamini Roy, FN Souza, SG Vasudev, and J Swaminathan, while Satish Gujral, Ram Kumar, Balraj Khanna, and MF Husain are also featured.

Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011) who along with Raza was a member of The Bombay Progressive Arts Group, was one of India’s most lauded and radical artists. Husain’s work explored contemporary European art movements, particularly Cubism and used freehand drawing and vibrant colour to convey the turbulent history of India.

The Vividh platform juxtaposes the masters’ work alongside the best of today’s new Indian art and design work. Emerging and established artists are showcased such as Paresh Maity, Dileep Sharma, Nabibakhsh Mansoori and Raghava KK, along with London based painter Shanti Panchal, whose style recalls ancient Indian miniatures, modern graphic artist Deelip Sharma and the delicate artwork of Bhairavi Modi.

They are joined by fashion designers, Rina Singh, Pallavi Mohan, Karishma Shahani Khan and Vaishali Shadangule whose SS’17 show received rave reviews at New York Fashion Week 2016.

With oil, acrylic, watercolours, tempera, gouache and even embroidery on canvas, paper, silk and board, digital art and mixed media, the collection reflects the extraordinary diversity of the Indian vision and is an extraordinary opportunity to see contemporary Indian artists working with the broader social issues and traditions as the basis for their work as well as the progressive works of art that led their way forward.

Vividh 2016 runs from 4 – 8 October 2016 at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP