Portraits of the Unseen Ahmedabad unveils poignant paintings of Vaidehi Kinkhabwala on the unseen labour of caregiving and motherhood at 079|STORIES in Bodakdev. Rooted in her personal journey, the series portrays care as a continuous act of repetition, endurance, and intimacy. Faceless figures lean and gather, evoking protection amid flattened urban spaces. Red anchors the emotional intensity, challenging invisible gender roles in modern life.
Exhibition Overview
Vaidehi Kinkhabwala spotlights the unseen labour of care in Portraits of the Unseen Ahmedabad. Her paintings capture motherhood’s repetition, endurance, and intimacy. Rooted in personal experience, the series challenges the notion that caregiving is merely instinctive and natural.
The show runs from 19 April to 2 May 2026. Visitors encounter simplified, faceless figures that lean, hold, and gather around smaller forms. These evoke protection and emotional anchoring without tying to specific identities.
Artist’s Background
New York-based Vaidehi Kinkhabwala draws from her bicultural roots in India and the US. Her multidisciplinary practice as a painter and printmaker explores migration, identity, and gender. Works have featured in exhibitions across the United States, India, London, France, and Spain.
Kinkhabwala resists fixed gender roles in caregiving. She opens the narrative to shared responsibilities in modern life. Her international collections affirm her rising influence.
Key Themes in Portraits of the Unseen
Caregiving emerges as continuous and essential, yet historically invisible. Portraits of the Unseen Ahmedabad uses red as an emotional anchor, symbolising love, intensity, and power across cultures. Figures inhabit flattened domestic and urban spaces, where stillness meets tension.
A subtle “village” motif appears through absence, nodding to fragmented support systems today. Faceless forms invite viewers to project their own experiences. The result shifts focus from individuals to shared emotional labour.
Visual Highlights
Kinkhabwala’s compositions blend proximity and quiet power. Red threads unify the series, evoking cultural depth. Spatial dynamics suggest modern isolation amid acts of sustenance.
The works prompt contemplation over resolution. They question what remains unseen in life’s sustaining structures. This reflective body champions care’s complexity.
Exhibition Details
- Title: Portraits of the Unseen
- Artist: Vaidehi Kinkhabwala (paintings)
- Venue: 079|STORIES, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad
- Preview: 18 April 2026, 5:30 pm onwards
- On View: 19 April to 2 May 2026, daily 11 am to 7 pm
This article has been created from the press kit shared with Abir Pothi. For press releases and related queries, write to editor@abirpothi.com.
Cover Image: A place of no return | Image Credit: 079|STORIES
Akanksha is an Associate Editor at Abir Pothi, writing on contemporary art and creating engaging videos that highlight artists and make art accessible to wider audiences.
