Anupam Sud’s most comprehensive retrospective, In the Etched Trace of Time: Six Decades of Anupam Sud, is now on view at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, from October 24 to November 24, 2026. Presented with Dhoomimal Gallery, the landmark exhibition traces the veteran artist’s journey across printmaking, painting, drawing and watercolour, from her early years in Shimla to her latest works.
A landmark Anupam Sud retrospective
Held in the New Wing of NGMA at Jaipur House, India Gate, the exhibition brings together works from the NGMA collection and Dhoomimal Gallery, India’s oldest private gallery, established in 1936. It is the first retrospective to present Sud’s prints alongside her paintings, watercolours, oils, acrylics and drawings across six decades, giving audiences a rare view of the full range of her practice.
The show includes early sketches and student works from the College of Art, New Delhi; prints made during her London years; and the increasingly layered, mature works of later decades. Together, they underline the strength of line, composition and figuration that has defined Sud’s art since childhood.
Anupam Sud : The Artist
Anupam Sud, born in 1944 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, is widely regarded as one of India’s foremost printmakers. She studied painting at the College of Art, New Delhi, between 1962 and 1967, and later received a British Council scholarship to study printmaking at London’s Slade School of Art in 1971–72.
Sud was the youngest member of Group 8, the influential printmakers’ collective founded by her teacher and mentor Jagmohan Chopra in 1967. The group played a crucial role in establishing printmaking as an independent and expressive artistic medium in India, while helping position New Delhi as a major centre for intaglio and printmaking.
Her best-known works are marked by powerful human figures, stark contrasts, psychological tension and social commentary. While intaglio remains central to her practice, she has also worked in lithography, screen printing, drawing and painting.
What visitors can see
The retrospective is notable for presenting the largest compilation of Anupam Sud’s paintings ever shown together, alongside the prints for which she is best known. It moves beyond the familiar image of Sud as a printmaker to reveal her as a complete artist whose drawing practice has remained constant across mediums.
Visitors can expect:
- Early works from her growing-up years in Shimla
- Student sketches, paintings and prints from College of Art, New Delhi
- Prints created during her Slade School years in London
- Mature intaglio works from subsequent decades
- Oils, acrylics, watercolours and drawings that reveal the breadth of her practice
The exhibition is curated by Archana Khare Ghose, conceptualised by Amanpreet Singh, and presented under the vision and direction of Dr Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, Director General, NGMA.
The two-volume publication
The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive two-volume publication. Volume I presents Sud’s own recollections, shared with Amanpreet Singh and Archana Khare Ghose through multiple interviews, while Volume II brings together essays by artists, critics, historians and former students.
Contributors include Rameshwar Broota, Vasundhara Tewari Broota, P. D. Dhumal, Ashok Vajpeyi, Yashodhara Dalmia, Ranbir Kaleka, M. Sovan Kumar, Shiela Makhijani and Rajesh Rana. Their reflections offer a layered portrait of Sud as artist, teacher, mentor and pioneering advocate for printmaking.
Dr Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, Director General, NGMA, said:
“In the artistic journey of Anupam Sud, every etched line carries an echo of time, memory and the profound complexities of human existence. Her art transcends the boundaries of medium, transforming the discipline of printmaking into a deeply evocative language of emotion, resilience and introspection.”
He added that the retrospective is “not merely a retrospective of six decades of artistic excellence, but a celebration of an enduring creative spirit that continues to enrich the narrative of Indian modernism.”
Uday Jain, Director, Dhoomimal Gallery, described Sud as “one of the most important artists in modern Indian history.” He noted that, at a time when contemporary art often foregrounds identity, gender and displacement through explicit narrative, Sud’s works “do no such thing. They are complete in themselves,” communicating through strong lines, expression and composition.
Curator Archana Khare Ghose said the exhibition offers a rare chance to understand “what truly makes her legendary.” She explained that through prints, oils, acrylics, watercolours and drawings, viewers can trace not only Sud’s evolution but also “the evolution of Indian art itself.”
Cover image: Anupam Sud | Celebration | 2001 | Courtesy of the artist
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