The art of belief

At Kalakaar Art Salon, twenty-two artists redefine sacred traditions, transforming memory and labor into a profound visual exploration of ritual, says Sakshi Priya.

Ritual lives far outside the confines of sacred shrines. It breathes through the quiet repetition of a brushstroke, the heavy weight of cultural memory, and the enduring labor of creation. At Kalakaar Art Salon, the group exhibition Performing Belief, curated by Rahul Kumar, captures this profound evolution. The showcase observes how identity and 
belonging shift across changing social landscapes, uniting twenty-two creators across distinct generations.

Carefully curated for this space, the artworks spark a compelling conversation between local histories and bold modernism. SH Raza’s Naga Bindu-98, a commanding acrylic on canvas, anchors the room in tantric philosophy and geometric devotion. The raw energy of folk tradition surfaces in Jivya Soma Mashe’s 2000 creation, rendered intimately with natural pigment on cloth. These historical touchstones seamlessly converse with contemporary visions. Madhvi Parekh’s acrylic canvas, The river in my village, pulls childhood landscapes into vivid form, stretching the concept of ritual into the everyday human experience.

For younger contemporaries, the physical act of making turns into a rhythmic devotion. In The Land of Lost Content, Youdhisthir Maharjan meticulously weaves strips of reclaimed book pages, transforming the strict discipline of craft into a quiet archival gesture. Himmat Gyari’s Visarjan captures the cyclical nature of cultural transformation through intricate watercolor and pencil work.

Through these intentional pairings, the salon creates an intimate space for observation. Ritual survives through continuous performance and renewal, holding the heavy threads of India’s artistic past and its vibrant present in perfect tension.