Curated by: Priyam Chandra
Venue: Gallery 1 & 2, Lalit Kala Akademi, 35 Ferozeshah Road, Mandi House, New Delhi
Inauguration: Thursday, 6th November 2025 | 6:00 PM
On View: 6th – 12th November 2025 | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
The Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, presents Museum on the Wheels, a solo exhibition celebrating the artistic genius of Prof. Sukhvir Sanghal (1914–2006), one of India’s pioneering masters of the Bengal School. Curated by his granddaughter Priyam Chandra, the exhibition will be inaugurated on Thursday, 6th November 2025 at 6:00 PM at Gallery 1 & 2, Lalit Kala Akademi, 35 Ferozeshah Road, Mandi House, New Delhi, and will remain on view till 12th November 2025, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
This exhibition brings together a rare collection of 45 paintings and tapestries that chronicle the artist’s lifelong journey through India’s cultural, spiritual, and emotional landscapes. The showcase includes works from his most celebrated series such as River of Life, Phases of Life, Marriage, Arjuna as an Ideal Man, Indian Life, Ramcharit, and Kashmir Landscapes, each representing a unique facet of his artistic and philosophical vision. His tapestries, embroidered on khadi cloth, stand as remarkable examples of craftsmanship, transforming fabric into fine art. Though widely recognized for his mastery in wash painting, Prof. Sanghal explored diverse mediums including watercolour on wood and silk, sculpture, embroidery, and fine art on leather. His works express deep human emotion and spiritual inquiry, grounded in the rasa theory of Indian aesthetics.
Born on July 14, 1914, in Muzaffarnagar, Prof. Sukhvir Sanghal was not only an artist of immense talent but also a patriot who actively participated in India’s freedom struggle and was arrested multiple times during the Non-Cooperation Movement. His early passion for art led him to the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow, where he received formal training and later served as Principal until 1973. In 1938, he founded Kala Bharti in Prayagraj, an institution devoted to Fine Arts, Classical Music, and Dance, which flourished under his leadership and produced many distinguished students, including Indira Gandhi and Vishwanath Pratap Singh. Guided by mentors A.K. Halder and Abanindranath Tagore, he developed an artistic language deeply rooted in Indian tradition and philosophy.
A prolific writer and thinker, Prof. Sanghal authored Bhartiya Chitrakala Paddhati and Evolution of Art and Artist, two major works that reveal his philosophy and teaching methods. The first volume of Evolution of Art and Artist was launched at the National Book Fair, Lucknow, in September 2025 by Hon. Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. His paintings, grounded in the symbolic use of colour and form, explore the inner world of emotion, faith, and experience, making his art timeless in its relevance and appeal.
Prof. Sanghal’s contribution to Indian art earned him numerous national recognitions from the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, the Bombay Art Society, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta. His iconic painting Thou Art Dust, to Dust Returnest was acquired for the Royal Collection by Emperor George V. In 1942, at the request of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, he designed Indira Gandhi’s wedding invitation, which received wide acclaim both in India and abroad. He held a major solo exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi in 1992 and continued to paint and teach privately after his retirement in Lucknow. His deep interest in classical music, naturopathy, and yoga enriched his personal and artistic life, reflecting harmony between body, mind, and spirit.
The current exhibition will be inaugurated by Dr. Sanjeev Kishore Gautam, Director General, National Gallery of Modern Art; Dr. Nand Lal Thakur, Vice Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi; Dr. Alka Pande, Art Historian and Museum Curator; and Mr. Prashant Bhushan, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court and an art lover. Mr. Bhushan remarked, “It was an immense pleasure to revisit this ‘museum’ of my mother’s art teacher, Shri Sukhvir Sanghal, who, in my view, was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century and among the three finest wash painters India has produced. Unfortunately, his contributions remain inadequately recognized.” Also present at the inauguration will be Rajesh Jaiswal, Dr. Stuti Singhal, Ritam Chandra, and Puneet Gera.
Even after his passing on November 29, 2006, Prof. Sanghal’s influence continues to shape Indian art and education. The State Lalit Kala Akademi, Uttar Pradesh, organized retrospectives of his work in March and April 2022, followed by an exhibition at the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation. On his 108th and 109th birth anniversaries, Rashtriya Kala Manch and Kala Bharti Trust hosted exhibitions and workshops in Lucknow, celebrating his mastery of wash painting. In recognition of his contributions, the Lucknow Nagar Nigam named a major road near his residence Prof. Sukhvir Sanghal Marg in 2022.
Museum on the Wheels is a tribute to his enduring vision of art as a living expression of India’s cultural and spiritual identity. Through this traveling collection, his artistic legacy continues to reach new audiences, reaffirming his belief that art is not confined to walls but moves freely, carrying the soul of a civilization wherever it goes.
