Where art whispers rather than shouts, this exhibition redefines softness as precision, emotion as intellect, and femininity as layered resistance, each work inviting a deeper, slower way of seeing, says TEAM VIVA
The world of contemporary art often speaks in booming declarations, but sometimes it is the quieter, sharper voices that leave the deepest mark. Objects May Appear Softer…, now on view at Black Cube Gallery in New Delhi, is one such exhibition. Curated by Sanya Malik, this all-women showcase spans generations and geographies, presenting a vivid reimagining of femininity, form, and force in Indian art.
The gallery, located in the tangled lanes of Hauz Khas, offers the right setting for this conversation. Twenty-one artists contribute a visual experience that is both subtle and searing, using media ranging from digital collage and sculpture to miniature painting and installation. The title rephrases that familiar line on car mirrors: “Objects in the mirror may appear closer than they are.” It serves as a quiet commentary on perception and misinterpretation. What is often dismissed as gentle or decorative is presented here with intention and clarity. Softness, in this context, is not weakness but another form of precision.
Among the most striking pieces is Lakshmi, an acrylic on canvas by Poonam Bhatnagar. Rooted in familiar iconography yet filled with ambiguity, the painting carries a strong visual charge. The expression is calm, but each line is alert. Meena Sansanwal’s The Eternal Garden 1, created in watercolour and gold, evokes a quiet intensity. Its limited palette reveals more the longer one observes. The garden depicted does not offer lush escape, but becomes a metaphor for memory and ecological persistence.
Another standout is Torsos as Tribute by Kanchan Chander. Inspired by Frida Kahlo and Amrita Sher-Gil, it feels raw and confrontational. Using layers of paint, textile and print, Chander forms hybrid female bodies that are fragmented and assertive. These are not passive figures but statements of resistance against silence, containment and easy categorisation.
This sense of deliberate layering appears throughout the show. Hansika Mangwani’s glowing sculptural forms appear rooted in wellness but reflect a clinical focus. Sujata Bajaj’s abstract compositions radiate with spiritual geometry, while Nilofer Suleman’s detailed panels are rich with irony and visual storytelling.
Objects May Appear Softer… offers no single definition of the feminine perspective. It presents a plurality of voices, each grounded in personal and political realities. This is a nuanced exhibition that repositions the viewer’s gaze with clarity and intent. It reframes “softness” not as vulnerability, but as a purposeful and articulate visual language. Through a range of practices from Poonam Bhatnagar’s restrained interrogation to Kanchan Chander’s assertive assemblages, the show highlights the breadth of expression that defines the female perspective in Indian contemporary art. What emerges is not a single narrative but a careful interplay of strength, detail and quiet resistance that asks us to see beyond the obvious.