A unique artistic dialogue unfolds this summer as Stray Birds: A Journey Together brings together the works of acclaimed artists Indrapramit Roy and Mark Cazalet in a two-venue exhibition across New Delhi. Curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, the exhibition is presented at the British Council and Art Magnum, tracing the enduring friendship, artistic exchange, and parallel journeys of two artists shaped by shared experiences across continents.
The exhibition unfolds across two venues with distinct schedules:
At British Council
8 May – 14 June 2026
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Venue:
British Council
At Art Magnum
10 May – 30 June 2026
11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sundays by Appointment
Venue:
Art Magnum
The artwork display in British Council, Delhi
Indrapramit Roy-7 artworks
Mark Cazalet-13 artworks
The artwork display in Art Magnum, Delhi
Indrapramit Roy-8
Mark Cazalet-22
Curated around the idea of life as a continuous journey shaped by encounters, memories, and movement, Stray Birds: A Journey Together explores how personal histories and cultural exchanges leave lasting impressions on artistic practice. The exhibition reflects on the invisible threads that connect people across geographies and generations, revealing how moments of chance can alter the course of creative lives.
The story of Roy and Cazalet began in Baroda during their time at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, where both artists studied under the guidance of the legendary artist and pedagogue Gulam Mohammed Sheikh. While Indrapramit Roy arrived in Baroda after his formative years in Santiniketan, Mark Cazalet came to India as a Commonwealth Universities scholar seeking artistic and cultural immersion. Their friendship evolved through shared study, travels, conversations, and artistic exploration.
A defining influence on both artists came through their journeys to the Ajanta and Ellora caves, where encounters with mural traditions, Mughal miniatures, and figurative painting expanded their understanding of visual storytelling and artistic continuity. Their years in Baroda also brought them into close association with influential figures such as Bhupen Khakhar, further deepening their engagement with contemporary artistic practice.
The exhibition highlights how these experiences evolved differently yet resonantly within each artist’s work. Roy’s paintings evoke layered psychological and political spaces, often suggesting human presence through absence and charged environments. His work remains deeply rooted in questions of society, memory, and contemporary realities. Cazalet, meanwhile, approaches the world through a contemplative and humanistic lens, capturing everyday life with sensitivity, spontaneity, and spiritual depth.
Presented across two interconnected venues, the exhibition encourages viewers to experience the works as an extended conversation across spaces. Together, the British Council and Art Magnum create a layered narrative mirroring the artists’ own journeys shaped by migration, friendship, pedagogy, travel, and artistic exchange.
Today, Mark Cazalet serves as Senior Faculty Member and Academic Board Member at the Royal Drawing School, while Indrapramit Roy continues to teach at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, carrying forward a legacy of mentorship and artistic dialogue.
Stray Birds: A Journey Together ultimately becomes more than an exhibition. It is a meditation on artistic companionship, shared histories, and the ways in which life continuously shapes creative expression. Like drifting birds carried across changing landscapes, the exhibition offers moments of pause where memory, experience, and art briefly converge before continuing their onward journey.
