In Mumbai’s ever-evolving contemporary art landscape, Fort welcomes a compelling new addition with the opening of Gallery Maxima, founded by curator and arts professional Sunaina Rajan. Located within the historic Kitab Mahal building, the gallery enters the scene at a moment when the city is witnessing renewed energy around artist-led experimentation, critical programming, and expanding collector engagement.
Occupying a 1,600 sq. ft. second-floor space, Gallery Maxima departs from the conventional white cube model. Its architectural features, arched thresholds, curved windows, original stone flooring, and high ceilings retain the material memory of old Bombay while offering a textured environment for contemporary exhibition-making. This interplay between past and present becomes central to the gallery’s identity as a site of dialogue and reflection.
Conceived as a platform for sustained engagement between artists, audiences, and collectors, Gallery Maxima focuses on contemporary practices emerging from South Asia and its diaspora. Its programming foregrounds material inquiry, cultural memory, lived histories, and evolving regional narratives, while maintaining a long-term commitment to nurturing emerging and mid-career artists. Rajan’s curatorial vision draws from her extensive experience across institutions such as Chemould CoLab, Nature Morte, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru, positioning the gallery within both local and global conversations.
The inaugural exhibition, Dream Girl, presents the solo debut of Mumbai-based artist Maithili Chaturvedi and is on view from 27 June to 1 August 2026. Featuring a series of oil paintings on velvet, the exhibition revisits the enduring imagery of iconic Hindi film actresses including Hema Malini, Rekha, Madhubala, Helen, Meena Kumari, and Parveen Babi. Rather than indulging in nostalgia, Chaturvedi’s works probe the construction of femininity and stardom, navigating the space between spectacle and intimacy, fantasy and lived experience.
Through its opening, Gallery Maxima signals more than the arrival of a new exhibition space—it reflects a broader shift in how contemporary art in Mumbai is being produced, experienced, and circulated. Situated in one of the city’s most historically layered cultural districts, the gallery contributes to Fort’s ongoing role as a vital node for artistic and intellectual exchange.
Cover Image: Darling Darling | Maithili Chaturvedi
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