One of India’s renowned contemporary art galleries, Gallerie Nvya, commemorates its 21st anniversary with an ambitious exhibition featuring works by over 35 distinguished Indian artists spanning the gallery’s journey from 2004 to 2025. The milestone exhibition, titled “21: Memories & Milestones from then till now,” opens with a preview on August 19, 2025, at the prestigious Bikaner House in New Delhi.
A Journey Through Two Decades
The exhibition traces the gallery’s evolution from its founding vision to its current status as a significant platform for Indian contemporary art. Established in 2004 by Tripat Kalra, whose passion for art was cultivated during childhood visits to Delhi’s “golden triangle” of cultural institutions—the National Museum, NGMA, and Triveni Kala Sangam—the gallery emerged from a deeply personal relationship with art collecting and patronage.
“As a 9th-standard schoolgirl, my Saturdays formed a ‘golden triangle’… Friends teased, ‘People buy jewellery, you buy art!'” recalls founder Tripat Kalra, whose textile design background and unwavering passion for art led to the gallery’s establishment as both a home for her growing collection and a platform for emerging voices.
Exhibition Scope and Significance
The comprehensive show brings together an impressive roster of modern and contemporary masters, including pioneers of Indian modernism M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, and Tyeb Mehta, alongside celebrated artists such as Anjolie Ela Menon, Krishen Khanna, Jehangir Sabavala, and Jamini Roy. Contemporary voices are represented through works by Paresh Maity, the collaborative duo Manu and Madhvi Parekh, Sakti Burman, Jogen Chowdhury, and rising talents including Jayasri Burman, Seema Kohli, and the Singh Twins.
The exhibition’s conceptual framework draws on the symbolic significance of the number 21—representing completion, transformation, and the threshold into maturity. This thematic approach reflects not only the gallery’s coming of age but also its role in fostering artistic development across generations.
Gallery Evolution and Impact
Under the current direction of Meher Kalra, representing the family’s next generation, Gallerie Nvya has expanded significantly from its original space in Friends Colony. The gallery now operates from multiple prestigious locations including Saket, maintains a presence at IGI Airport’s Reserved Lounge for private aircraft, and has established collaborations with major hospitality venues such as Hotel Taj Palace, Hotel Pullman, Ahmedabad Airport, and corporate spaces in Gurgaon.
Over two decades, the gallery has distinguished itself through serious academic publications accompanying major exhibitions and retrospectives. Its scholarly approach has involved collaboration with prominent art historians, critics, and curators including Dr. Alka Pande, Prof. Rajeev Lochan, Prof. B.N. Goswami, Prof. Ashis Nandy, Prof. Seema Bawa, Sushma Bahl, Ranjit Hoskote, Ina Puri, Uma Nair, and Priya Pall.
Strategic Vision and Future Direction
The anniversary exhibition coincides with Gallerie Nvya’s strategic rebranding, featuring a new visual identity and enhanced digital presence. This transformation reflects the gallery’s evolution from its founding principle—”Nvya” meaning “new”—into what the gallery describes as “new ways of seeing, supporting, and shaping art.”
The gallery’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent alongside established masters has been formalized through the Nvya Grant program, continuing the founder’s original vision of empowering artists “fuelled by the power of their creative impulses.”
Exhibition Details
Venue: Bikaner House, between Pandara Road and Shahjahan Road, India Gate, New Delhi
Preview: Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 6 PM onwards
Exhibition Dates: August 20-24, 2025
Timings: 11 AM – 7 PM daily
Continuation: Gallerie Nvya, Square One Designer Arcade, Saket
Extended Dates: September 4-30, 2025, 11 AM – 7 PM (Closed Sundays)
As the gallery positions itself for its next phase, “21: Memories & Milestones” serves as both homage to its foundational relationships with artists and declaration of its evolving mission to bridge tradition with innovation in Indian contemporary art.
Through this landmark exhibition, Gallerie Nvya reaffirms its founding philosophy: “where passion meets purpose, and art finds its voice,” while demonstrating its maturation from a personal collection space into a significant institutional presence in India’s art landscape.
Cover Image: Jayashree Burman, Shankha Rupeeni, Courtesy of Gallery Nvya
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