Unboxed 2.0, the second edition of the queer art exhibition at Art Junction, The LaLiT New Delhi, has a special preview on 26th June 2026, reaffirming the space’s commitment to inclusive and progressive cultural programming. Co-curated by Naresh Kapuria, Praveen Mahto, and Shashi Baghwar, and organised in collaboration with The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group and the Keshav Suri Foundation, the exhibition runs until 15 July and is open to the public free of charge.
Bringing together a wide spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices from across India and beyond, Unboxed 2.0 features works by over twenty artists, including Aayush, Anand Jaiswal, Anurag Dubay, Badal Verma, Deepak Kumar Rai, Ember, Himanshu, Jupinder Singh, Khusboo Sharma, Nayana, Nishant Khoiya, Neelabh Kumar, Renu Dhiman, Ritik Kumar, Rahul Shakya, Reyansh Naarang, Shakibul Islam, Surjeet Chaudhary, Sumit Srivastava, Shivani Rawat, Vaishali, and Vaishnavi Jagdamba Nand Giri. Working across mediums such as painting, sculpture, illustration, and mixed media, the artists collectively explore themes of identity, gender, love, memory, and selfhood.
The exhibition foregrounds deeply personal narratives while also engaging with broader cultural and political frameworks. Many works reinterpret mythology, interrogate family structures, and reflect on migration, ecology, and power. These layered approaches situate queer experience within both intimate and systemic contexts, often weaving Indian visual and spiritual vocabularies into contemporary expressions of gender fluidity and resistance.
Image credit: Ritik Kumar, Loosing passion, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 inches & Badal Verma, Interuption, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30 inches
Speaking on the exhibition, Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The LaLiT and Founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation, emphasised the role of art in fostering dialogue and inclusion. He noted that Unboxed serves as a platform to amplify marginalised voices and challenge entrenched norms through creative expression. Co-curator Praveen Mahto highlighted the diversity of perspectives in this year’s edition, with participating artists representing cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Kurukshetra, Kerala, and even London, bringing varied engagements with identity, memory, and socio-political realities.
Art Junction, located within The LaLiT New Delhi, has built a reputation for championing underrepresented artists, including women, rural practitioners, neurodiverse creators, and survivors of marginalisation. Unboxed 2.0 continues this trajectory, positioning the gallery as a key site for intersectional and socially engaged art practices in the capital.
The exhibition remains on view at Art Junction, 3rd Floor, The LaLiT New Delhi, until 15 July 2026.
Cover image: Shakibul Islam, Dates, Oil on Canvas, 39 x 39 inches
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