The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Mumbai is hosting a landmark retrospective exhibition celebrating the centenary of pioneering Indian modernist artist Krishen Khanna. Running from November 11 to December 10, 2025, the exhibition marks the first comprehensive museum-based retrospective of the last surviving member of the Progressive Artists’ Group.
The exhibition spans all four floors of NGMA Mumbai, showcasing eight decades of artistic work from the 1940s to the present day.
Curated Retrospective Spanning Eight Decades
Co-curated by Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy and Kajoli Khanna (the artist’s granddaughter), the retrospective traces Krishen Khanna’s artistic evolution through four thematic sections. The exhibition includes rarely seen works from the artist’s personal collection, family-loaned pieces, and contributions from institutions including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Jehangir Nicholson Foundation.
The Last Bite | 2005| Oil on canvas | 39.5 x 60 in (100.3 x 152.4 cm | From the Collection of Minal and DineshVazirani
Featured Artworks and Themes
The retrospective encompasses several key periods and styles from Khanna’s career:
- Early Partition paintings from the 1940s and 1950s documenting the trauma of India’s independence
- Abstract works from the 1960s influenced by international travel on a Rockefeller Grant
- Dark political paintings from the 1970s revisiting the 1947 Partition
- Iconic Bandwallah series celebrating Indian street musicians
- Works spanning figurative and abstract painting, photography, mixed media, and recent sculptures
The exhibition also features extensive archival materials including letters, catalogues, and photographs documenting the early years of India’s modern art movement.
About Krishen Khanna
Born in 1925 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad, Pakistan), Krishen Khanna is a largely self-taught artist whose career has spanned over 80 years. After Partition in 1947, his family moved to Shimla, an experience that profoundly shaped his early artistic work.
Khanna worked at Grindlays Bank in Mumbai for 14 years before resigning in 1961 to pursue art full-time. He joined the second phase of the Progressive Artists’ Group in 1953, exhibiting alongside artists including V.S. Gaitonde and Mohan Samant.
International Recognition and Awards
Throughout his career, Khanna has represented India at major international exhibitions including the Venice, São Paulo, Havana, and Tokyo Biennales. His work has been shown in New York, London, Geneva, Washington D.C., Tokyo, and other cities worldwide.
The Government of India has recognized his contributions with:
- Padma Shri (1990)
- Lalit Kala Ratna (2004)
- Padma Bhushan (2011)
The Last Progressive
As the last surviving member of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group, Khanna represents a living connection to the defining era of Indian modernism. The group shaped the course of modern Indian art in the post-independence period.
Khanna continues to live and work in Gurgaon, India, maintaining an active artistic practice at age 100.
Curator Perspectives
Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy, co-curator and Lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Bristol, describes Khanna as embodying “the idea of a plural, syncretic nation; a vision that feels more urgent than ever today.”
Kajoli Khanna, co-curator and the artist’s granddaughter, calls the retrospective “deeply personal and profoundly meaningful,” noting that it brings together eight decades of work as “one cohesive whole.”
NGMA Mumbai Director Nidhi Choudhari stated the museum is “deeply honoured” to host the exhibition marking the centenary of “one of the last stalwarts of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group.”
About the Curators
Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy is a specialist in Modern and Contemporary Indian art, currently serving as Lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Bristol. She previously curated “The Progressive Revolution” at New York’s Asia Society Museum in 2018.
Kajoli Khanna is a specialist in Modern and Contemporary Indian Art with degrees from Chelsea College of Art and Design and Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. She has organized multiple exhibitions of her grandfather’s work in the UK and India, including his 95th birthday exhibition in New Delhi.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition: Krishen Khanna at 100: The Last Progressive
Location: National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
Dates: November 11 – December 10, 2025
Timings: 11 AM – 6 PM (closed Mondays)
Preview: November 10, 2025
Cover image: Pieta | 2008 | Oil on canvas | 72 x 96 in (182.9 x 243.8 cm | From the Collection of Karan Khanna
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