Must-See Art Exhibitions In Delhi This September | Lifestyle News

Delhi events: Here are five must-see art exhibitions in the city this month

September promises to be a vibrant month for art lovers in Delhi, with an impressive lineup of exhibitions showcasing diverse artistic expressions from contemporary works to explorations of history and social narratives. Here are five must-see art exhibitions in the city this month:

Is This My Circus? by Raseel Gujral Ansal

This September, New Delhi’s historic Travancore Palace becomes the stage for Is This My Circus? – an immersive exhibition by designer and curator Raseel Gujral Ansal. Conceived as both spectacle and question, the showcase dissolves boundaries between art and performance, imagination and reality, legacy and reinvention.

At its centre are Raseel’s artworks presented under Sifar – her art studio and symbolic signature. More than a name, Sifar is both practice and philosophy: the space where her visions take form. Beginning as vivid dreams layered with memory, intuition, and imagination, each concept first enters into dialogue with AI, surfacing unexpected fragments like a subconscious circus. These are then refined by Raseel and her team, before being entrusted to master artisans who translate them into hand-rendered watercolours and sculptural forms.

Every piece carries the mark of Sifar – not as a claim of ownership but as a seal of humility, collaboration, and infinite possibility. Rooted in her father Satish Gujral’s Urdu signature, Sifar reimagines authorship for a contemporary world: a collective act of creation that honours legacy while carving out new cultural space.

Placed in dialogue with rare works from Satish Gujral and mischievous sculptural simians by Ketan Amin, Raseel’s Sifar pieces from the heart of this exhibition – a theatre of paradox where divinity meets vulnerability, and every vignette becomes both muse and provocation.

Mrs Ansal would be delighted to share more on her vision for Is This My Circus? – from her creative dialogue with AI, to curating her father’s legacy into the present, and the larger question of where Indian design sits within today’s global cultural landscape.

Preview Date and Time: 24th September 2025, 7 PM onwards

Exhibition Dates: 25th September – 28th September 2025

Exhibition Time : 11 AM – 7 PM

Venue: The Travancore Palace, New Delhi

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special craft bazaar from September 26 to October 5, 2025, at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi. Founded in 1986 by Jaya Jaitly, DHS has evolved into a national movement dedicated to empowering Indian artisans and preserving traditional art forms. This Diwali bazaar features over 90 stalls showcasing India’s rich craft heritage, including intricate Kutch handloom weaving, vibrant Sohrai painting from Jharkhand, Rajasthani Shibori art, Sabai grass weaving from Odisha, and iconic Kolhapuri chappals from Maharashtra. Visitors can witness live demonstrations of terracotta, Madhubani, Gond, and miniature painting, where the creative process becomes as captivating as the finished pieces. The event will be enhanced by cultural performances featuring Chhau dancers from West Bengal and authentic Rajasthani cuisine at food stalls.

More than just a marketplace, this festive bazaar creates a vibrant atmosphere of culture, craft, and community, making it an essential destination for craft lovers and festive shoppers during the Dussehra-Diwali season.

The Shadows of Absence

Vadehra Art Gallery presents The Shadows of Absence, the first solo exhibition in India by renowned artist Tom Vattakuzhy. Curated by distinguished art historian R. Siva Kumar, this exhibition showcases 16 recent masterpieces that seamlessly blend Renaissance realism with surrealistic elements. The collection delves into themes of memory, migration, and the serene moments of domestic life, offering a profound artistic exploration.

When: Until 13 September

Timings: 10 am – 6 pm

Venue: Vadehra Art Gallery, D-53 Defence Colony, New Delhi

After Aphantasias

This landmark group exhibition, curated by Shrine Empire, features six pioneering Sri Lankan artists—Anoli Perera, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Jagath Weerasinghe, Kingsley Gunatillake, Muhanned Cader, and Pala Pothupitiye. Through powerful paintings, sculptures, installations, and more, the show critically examines societal blindness and politics, offering a profound reflection on contemporary issues.

When: 14 – 25 September

Timings: 6 – 9 pm (14 September opening)

Venue: First Floor, CCA Building, Bikaner House, New Delhi

Homes Wrapped in Cloth, Borders Raised by Flags

In Hema Shironi’s compelling solo exhibition at Bikaner House, flags are transformed into fragile, uncanny barbed wire—symbolizing deep political tensions. Her masterful use of fabric, embroidery, and found materials weaves haunting narratives that vividly explore generational trauma and displacement stemming from Sri Lanka’s civil war. The exhibition offers a visually poetic journey into memory and loss, inviting viewers into a powerful emotional dialogue.

When: 14 – 25 September, 2025

Timings: 6 – 9 pm (14 September opening)

Venue: Ground Floor, CCA Building, Bikaner House, New Delhi

Essere: A Solo Sculpture Exhibition by Niyamat Mehta

Acclaimed sculptor Niyamat Mehta presents her second solo exhibition, Essere, in partnership with Arushi Arts. The show features her most ambitious creations to date—powerful bronze sculptures mounted on pristine Makrana marble. Blending Indian mythology, philosophy, and contemporary artistry, Essere invites viewers into a profound journey of form and meaning.

When: 20 – 24 September

Timings: 6 pm onwards

Tickets: Free

Venue: Bikaner House, New Delhi

Woman Song | Looking Back

Eminent painter Vasundhara Tewari Broota’s upcoming solo exhibition will feature approximately 35 works spanning her artistic journey from the 1980s to today. Her oeuvre predominantly revolves around the female nude, evolving from fragmented, deconstructed body parts to cohesive, full-figure compositions. Kolkata-born and Delhi-based, the artist’s feminist lens positions the female body as a powerful site of process and resistance. Her paintings often weave fantastical and otherworldly elements, intertwining figures with one another and with aspects of nature to create evocative, compelling narratives.

When: 11 September – 11 October

Venue: Vadehra Art Gallery, Defence Colony, New Delhi