A new exhibition by contemporary artist Abhay Sehgal opened this week at Bikaner House, New Delhi. Titled Roots & Rebellion, the show presents Sehgal’s latest body of work, delving into youth, patriotism, and cultural identity through a layered visual language that merges abstraction, storytelling, and personal reflection. It is presented by The Usual Suspects.
Sehgal, who completed his BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is known for his explorations in surrealism, blending psychological inquiry with visual experimentation. With Roots & Rebellion, the 27-year-old Delhi-based artist navigates what he calls a “late realization” of the depth of his cultural inheritance and its role in shaping his creative voice.
Art works featured: A 100m Swim and Hostel Days | Image Courtesy: Abhay Sehgal
“Why am I the way I am? Is it my upbringing? Is it because of what I was taught in school? Or is it simply that my roots are strong enough to let me create my own world—a world where there is patriotism with class, a class of its own that the West won’t understand, but maybe its people will,” Sehgal writes about the series.
The exhibition is marked by maximalist strokes and patterns inspired by carpets, which the artist reimagines as metaphors for narratives traditionally relegated to the floor. By elevating these motifs onto walls, Sehgal situates them within a space of prominence. “The reason I am pursuing the carpet as the base is nothing but a fascination with how intricate and beautiful they are. Their intricate patterns tell an abstract story but belong on the floor. I want to elevate these narratives—to create my own stories on the walls,” he elaborates.
Each composition in Roots & Rebellion is positioned as a dialogue: sometimes introspective, sometimes directed at imagined audiences, always charged with nostalgia, memory, and a search for belonging. “This show is essentially the epitome of me sitting alone in a room: one chair, a small bulb, no window, and me talking out loud. It could be to the walls. It could be me talking to myself. It is a free speech about what my life is made of—a chaotic nostalgia that uplifts me and drives me to create every day,” Sehgal said in his concept note.
Artworks featured: Parenting Done Right and Philosophy Race | Image Courtesy: Abhay Sehgal
The works combine Gen Z sensibilities with a gravitas drawn from Indian history, resulting in compositions that seek to bridge generational experience with inherited identity. The show also reflects a shift in Sehgal’s practice from explorations of fear and dreamscapes through illustration and animation to a more mature engagement with form, texture, and belonging.
“Perhaps it is daring to experiment with maximalism on maximalism,” Sehgal noted. “Now my roots are strong. I need to innovate by creating some sort of series that describes maturity and experience in my work.”
Roots & Rebellion is on display at Bikaner House, New Delhi, from 12 September 2025 to 15th September 2025.
Cover image: Is it even possible, Artist Portrait, Brown Era. Image Courtesy: Abhay Sehgal
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