Exploring identity, memory, and selfhood through art, Unboxed 2.0 brings together works by 22 LGBTQIA+ artists from across India. Co-curated by Naresh Kapuria, Praveen Mahto, and Shashi Baghwar, the exhibition at The Lalit Suri Hotel, features paintings, illustrations, and mixed-media works that delve into themes of gender, mythology, and resilience.Talking about the showcase, Praveen Mahto said, “The exhibition features a diverse roster of artists, each bringing a distinct visual language to the shared themes of gender, identity, abstraction, and selfhood.”
Co-curators of Unboxed 2.0 Praveen Mahto and Naresh Kapuria
From paintings to sculptures, queer voices take centre stage through art
‘These artworks create a conversation about identity, belonging’ Hardik Verma, an art student who spent time observing Nayana’s works, said, “Across the exhibition, you’ll see a spectrum of colours – some vibrant and pop, others muted. The choice of colours reflects deeper emotions and lived experiences. Each artwork tells a different story, but together they create a powerful conversation about identity, self-expression, and belonging.”
‘The choice of colours reflects deeper emotions and lived experiences’
Presenting her work, Unmet Desire (right), artist Vaishnavi Jagdamba Nandgiri said, “A transwoman has several desires, but not many are met. The drape in the painting symbolises those desires, while the eyes reflect the pain of unfulfilled dreams. Aankhon mein woh intezaar hota hai, aur mann mein ek asha hoti hai ki koi meri ichhaon ko samjhe.”
Unboxed is a platform created to amplify voices often left out of the mainstream: the stories of queerness, resilience and joy
Keshav Suri, founder of the Keshav Suri Foundation
Vaishnavi Jagdamba Nandgiri showing her artwork Unmet Desire to a visitor
Artist Ember, who was present at the exhibition, said, “My artworks are a point of view of the ordinary and the mundane.” While a few of the artworks reflected what she saw at her relative’s home during a trip to Mumbai, one artwork showcased “the store-like balcony, where somehow plants survive even in abandonment.”
Ember is one of the 22 artists showcasing their work at Unboxed 2.0
