Sakshi Gallery presents new works by sculptor and artist Teja Gavankar in a solo exhibition running from November 11 through December 6, 2025. According to press release, “Gavankar’s new body of work extends the artist’s preoccupation with built spaces and their impact on human psychology. Amidst a backdrop of uncertainty, the artist questions notions of stability and permanence projected by architectural spaces, which often conceal fragility and displacement.“
Artist Profile
Born in Mumbai in 1986, Gavankar has established herself as a significant voice in contemporary Indian sculpture and drawing. She holds a BFA from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai (2006), and an MVA in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University Baroda (2014), along with a certificate in Indian Aesthetics from Mumbai University.
Gavankar’s artistic practice centers on transforming mundane spaces and materials, exploring the relationship between subjective and objective realities while challenging conventional perceptions of spatial subjectivity.
Exhibition Work
The current exhibition features Relocation II (2025), a set of three etchings on stainless steel, each measuring 8 x 8 inches. The work continues Gavankar’s investigation into material transformation and spatial dynamics.
Exhibition History and Recognition
Gavankar’s first international solo exhibition was held at The Optica Centre for Contemporary Art in Montreal, Canada, in 2017. More recently, she presented a solo booth at the Indian Art Fair in 2025.
Her work has been included in numerous significant group exhibitions, including the upcoming The Sculpture Park at Jaigarh (2025-26); A Room Of One’s Own at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2023); Parsec, curated by Nupur Dalmia at Gallery ARK, Vadodara (2022); Hub India: Maximum Minimum, curated by Myna Mukherjee and Davide Quadrio at Artissima, Italy (2021); and Patterns of Intensity, curated by Ranjit Hoskote at Art Alive Gallery, Delhi (2021). She also participated in a collaborative project with Case Design showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018.
Among her accolades, Gavankar received the Nasreen Mohamedi Award for her MVA display at M.S.U. Baroda in 2014, a Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India (2017-18), and the Space118 Fine Arts Grant in 2020.
Residencies and Teaching
Her residency experience includes programs at Space Studio, Baroda (2019); What About Art, Mumbai (2017); Verticale Artist Center, Laval, Canada (2016); Khoj International Artist Association, Delhi (2015); and an Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation-supported International (India-Quebec) Residency at The Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada (2014).
Gavankar taught design at the Academy of Architecture at Rachana Sansad, Mumbai, for a decade and currently serves as visiting faculty at Kamala Raheja School of Architecture. She lives and works in Mumbai.
The exhibition continues through December 6, 2025, at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai.
Reference: Press Release and images provided by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
