‘HABITAT – Echoes of Land and Life’
From 26 May to 01 June 2026, the historic Jehangir Art Gallery will host "HABITAT – Echoes of Land and Life," a significant group exhibition featuring four acclaimed artists: N. S. Manohar, S Jayaraj, Maruthi Paila, and R Dhiyaneshwaran.
The exhibition serves as a profound visual dialogue between the elemental forces of earth and sea and the human lives shaped within their embrace. Through a diverse body of work, the artists navigate the terrains of landscape, memory, and abstraction, reflecting on the lived experiences of rural and coastal communities.
In this collection, the land and sea is portrayed as a rhythmic, transformative presence, while the land serves as a repository for stories of tradition and labour. The artists employ colour as a primary emotional language – moving between quiet, contemplative palettes and vibrant, immersive hues – to capture the "echoes" of places remembered and lives witnessed.
S Jayaraj and Maruthi Paila push the boundaries of form, utilizing textured abstractions to bridge the gap between observed reality and imagined space. N. S. Manohar and R Dhiyaneshwaran present evocative figurative narratives and intimate portrayals of everyday life, grounding the exhibition in the resilience of human tradition.
Collectively, these works resonate with a shared concern for environmental continuity and the fragile balance between human existence and the natural world. "HABITAT" does not seek to present a singular narrative; instead, it offers a constellation of impressions, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on their own connections to place.