A BIRD CALL — RAJASTHAN ~ Solo show by Rupa Samaria

8th – 12th October 2026 | 11am to 7pm

The Main Art Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi

With A Bird Call — Rajasthan, artist and conservationist Rupa Samaria turns her gaze towards the remarkable avian life of Rajasthan, a landscape where survival is written across vast skies, wetlands, grasslands and the shifting sands of the desert. The exhibition is on from 8th October to 12th October at The Main Art Gallery, Bikaner House, New Delhi.

The exhibition brings together resident, migratory, rare and threatened birds of Rajasthan, celebrating the extraordinary diversity that inhabits and passes through this arid region. From the desert’s open skies to its wetlands and grasslands, each work becomes both a portrait and a quiet act of advocacy.

At the heart of the exhibition is the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan), Rajasthan’s State Bird and one of India’s most critically endangered species. Through a series of large-scale works, Samaria places this magnificent bird against intense fluorescent backgrounds, colours inspired by the vivid attire traditionally worn in Rajasthan’s vast landscapes, where brightness helps one remain visible across great distances. Here, fluorescence becomes a visual warning signal: a call to notice a species before its presence becomes a memory.

The exhibition is not only a visual representation of birds but the stories surrounding them. The migratory section highlights species such as the Egyptian Vulture — a quiet game of visibility and retreat for bird lovers — and recalls the Siberian Crane, last seen in 2001–2002, evoking a memory that still waits for their return. The mighty Imperial Eagle also takes its place among these narratives along with Greater Flamingo, Sykes’s Nightjar, Asian Houbara and Wheatears.

The resident birds of Rajasthan showcase a wide range: from the Common Hoopoe, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Trumpeter Finch, Asian Green Bee-eater, Indian Spotted Creeper, Merlin to the Indian Eagle Owl, each underscoring the richness of the region’s avifauna.

“Every bird I paint is both a celebration and a warning. Rajasthan’s skies hold stories of resilience and fragility, and through my art I hope to make people pause, look closer, and realise that these voices of the wild are part of our shared heritage. To see them is to remember that protecting them is also protecting ourselves”, says artist Rupa Samaria

Samaria works across charcoal, painting and mixed media, using contrast, scale and colour to explore the fragile relationship between visibility and disappearance. Her birds are not merely subjects to be observed; they become voices in a landscape asking to be heard.

A Bird Call — Rajasthan showcasing more than 60 canvases of diverse species is ultimately a visual invitation to pause, look up, and listen, recognising that every bird still flying across Rajasthan’s skies is part of a living heritage worth protecting.

This is not simply a show about birds. It is a call to see them while they are still here.

About the Artist:

Rupa Arora Samaria – Artist | Educator | Conservationist

Born and brought up in Patna and now based in New Delhi, she uses art to express her love for birds and nature. Her work is inspired by careful observation, research, and a deep concern for the environment, spanning painting, sculpture, and installations.

India is home to around 1,400 species of birds, and over the years, she has painted more than 600 species from India and across the world. Through these paintings, she is creating a visual archive of birdlife, drawing attention to the beauty, diversity, and fragile existence of these species.

Her practice seeks to evoke a sense of wonder and encourage people to learn about and care for birds and the natural world. Each artwork becomes her way of celebrating birds and inviting people to pause, look, and listen to the world around them.