Jaipur's Artistic Legacy Illuminates Delhi with Dual Exhibitions
The vibrant cultural tapestry of Jaipur takes center stage in India's capital this February with the simultaneous unveiling of two remarkable solo exhibitions at the prestigious India Habitat Centre. The Enigma of Jaipur and The Jadugar of Jaipur present a compelling dialogue between generations of self-taught artists from Rajasthan, offering art enthusiasts an unprecedented window into the region's distinctive outsider art movement.
Celebrating Rajasthan's Outsider Art Tradition
Presented by The Crites Collection in collaboration with ICA Gallery – Jaipur, these exhibitions showcase how folk traditions, spiritual practices, and tantric influences intersect with highly personal artistic visions. This rare presentation foregrounds creative voices that have historically operated outside conventional art historical narratives, providing collectors, critics, and art lovers with a unique opportunity to engage with Jaipur's protean creativity.
The Enigmatic Legacy of Nannu Singh
The late Nannu Singh (1905–2005), often celebrated as the "Picasso of India" by renowned artist-educator Ramgopal Vijayvargiya, spent most of his life in Jaipur and remains one of the country's most mysterious self-taught painters. His extraordinary body of work demonstrates:
- Use of traditional materials including handmade paper and stone-ground mineral pigments
- Deep inspiration from folk and tantric aesthetics while maintaining contemporary relevance
- Imaginative interpretations of spiritual motifs, particularly Lord Ganesha
- Raw, intuitive brushstrokes that reveal a lifetime of devotion and spiritual exploration
Singh's paintings create a powerful sense of mystery where identity, geographical place, and inner psychological worlds converge through his distinctive visual language.
The Contemporary Vision of Nagdas
Running alongside Singh's exhibition is The Jadugar of Jaipur, featuring the compelling work of contemporary outsider artist Nagdas, born in 1987 in Jalore, Rajasthan. This emerging artist creates:
- Hypnotic black-and-white worlds populated by "therianthropes" – hybrid forms merging human, animal, and mythical elements
- Layered, mesmerizing compositions through an intuitive, sketch-free creative process
- Artistic expressions that channel imagination as a form of spiritual worship
- Visual narratives blending folk myths, oral traditions, and personal memory
Through his distinctive artistic practice, Nagdas transforms Jaipur's rich cultural heritage into a living visual language, bringing the magical essence of the city to contemporary audiences.
Curatorial Vision and Exhibition Details
The exhibitions have been conceptualized through a unique collaboration between Minhazz Majumdar, a respected scholar of indigenous art, and American art expert Mitchell A. K. Crites, who brings 55 years of experience working with folk, tribal, and tantric artists. They have partnered with the Bansal family of ICA Gallery, Jaipur, to realize this ambitious project.
Exhibition Schedule:
- Preview: February 2, 2026
- Exhibition Dates: February 3 to 9, 2026
- Venue: Visual Arts Gallery and Open Palm Court, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
- Timings: 11 AM to 7 PM daily
These twin exhibitions collectively invite audiences into the visionary worlds of two remarkable artists from Rajasthan, highlighting Jaipur not merely as a city of historical heritage but as a dynamic, living center of artistic innovation. The presentations demonstrate how traditional Rajasthani creativity continues to evolve and inspire new generations of artists and art enthusiasts alike.
