The International Creative Art Centre (ICAC), founded by Mumbai–Ahmedabad based industrialist, entrepreneur and collector Ravindra Mardia, is presenting a major group exhibition titled “Melodious, Pure and True” at the LTC Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi, on view from 9–13 January 2026, 11 am–7 pm. Featuring 35+ artists across generations, the show is curated by well-known art historian and curator Johny ML and centres on the idea of hope in precarious times.
Collector’s vision and ICAC’s role
A significant section of the exhibition draws from Mardia’s personal collection of nearly 10,000 works, from which 19 artists have been selected in collaboration with the curator. The remaining artists are primarily Delhi-based practitioners invited to “mirror” the collection, creating a dialogue between what has been collected over time and the current moment in contemporary practice.
Mardia describes his collection as being driven by connection rather than acquisition, with the artist, the process and the philosophy behind each work and emphasises his commitment to supporting both senior and emerging artists through ICAC’s exhibitions, residencies, art camps and scholarships. He notes that many younger artists in the exhibition possess the intensity and originality associated with legends such as Gaitonde, Husain, Raza and Souza, underlining the show as a space for future “masters” as well as established names.
Curatorial frame: HOPE in capital letters
Curator Johny ML anchors the exhibition in the theme of HOPE, explicitly written in capital letters in his catalogue essay. He reflects on a world where celebrations and spectacle are constantly undercut by harsh realities, yet everyday sounds, the meowing of cats, barking of dogs, the milkman’s call, the whistle of a pressure cooker reaffirm continuity and survival. For him, each canvas in the exhibition is a site where hope “lights up” the surface, resisting collapse through small, persistent affirmations of life.
The title “Melodious, Pure and True” is drawn from Bob Marley’s iconic song “Three Little Birds”, a cultural reference Johny uses to reiterate the reassurance that “everything is going to be alright”. In this context, the show situates contemporary Indian art within a wider global and historical conversation on resilience, serenity and the politics of everyday optimism.
Artists and intergenerational dialogue
The exhibition brings together senior, mid-career and emerging artists, with a curatorial intent to stage “mutuality of ideas and aesthetics” between Mardia’s collection and Johny’s Delhi and India-wide selections.
From the collection side, artists include names such as Chandra Bhattacharya, Manish Pushkale, Surya Prakash, Prem Singh, Yusuf, Sangeeta Gupta, Yashwant Deshmukh, Pisurwo Jitendra, Hemant Dhane, Mainaz Bano, Poonam Kishore, Archana Yadav, Sunil Padwal, Nilesh Vede, Vinod Sharma, Sanju Jain, Virangana Soni, Nagesh Ghodke and Prakash Waghmare.
Johny’s contemporary additions from Delhi and beyond include Rajesh Dev, Rashmi Khurana, Abid Zaidi, Shanmuk Tamada, Sanghapal Mhaske, Rajan Fulari, Santosh Verma, Shabana Quadri, Ashok Bhowmick, Kanchan Chander, Neerja Chandana Peters, Ritu Singh, SKY, Jattinn Kocchar, Harpreet Singh and Udayakumar T R.
According to the curator, these artists, irrespective of age, market positioning or visibility are united by distinctive visual languages and an “aesthetical finesse” that prevents any one practice from echoing another. The works collectively lean into themes of nature, interiority and quiet resilience, reinforcing the show’s emphasis on hope rather than spectacle.
Public engagement and programming
The exhibition opened on 9 January 2026 with an inaugural ceremony attended by Sushma Bahl (art consultant and author), Kiran Mohan (art-management expert), Vladimir Zaitsev (art historian and Roerich expert), senior artist Ashok Bhowmick and Sunil Kumar, founder-director of Folkartopedia, among others.
Visitor information
- Title: Melodious, Pure and True
- Presented by: International Creative Art Centre (ICAC)
- Curator: Johny ML
- Venue: LTC Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi
- Dates: 9–13 January 2026
- Timings: 11 am–7 pm
- Entry: Free
For Delhi audiences, “Melodious, Pure and True” offers a rare chance to see a large, collection-driven exhibition that simultaneously tracks market histories, artistic journeys and the quiet insistence of hope in contemporary Indian art.
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
