12th Annual Women Artists’ Exhibition 2026

It gives me great pleasure to know that the 12th Women Artists’ Contemporary Art Exhibition 2026 is being organized by Artscapes at the Punjab Arts Council, Chandigarh, bringing together talented women artists from across the country.

Art has always been a powerful medium of expression, reflection and cultural continuity. Women artists, in particular, bring unique perspectives and sensitivity to the creative process, enriching our artistic landscape with their imagination, dedication and vision. Platforms such as this exhibition play a vital role in encouraging creativity, nurturing talent and providing artists with an opportunity to present their work before a wider audience.

I commend Artscapes for its sustained efforts in promoting contemporary art and for creating a meaningful platform that celebrates and highlights the significant contribution of women in the field of visual arts. The publication of this Coffee Table Book, documenting the artworks and creative journeys of the participating artists, is indeed a commendable initiative.

I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to the organizers, participating artists and art enthusiasts for the grand success of this exhibition. May this initiative continue to inspire creativity and further strengthen the vibrant cultural spirit of our society!

THREADS OF RESILIENCE

Art is the finest sanctuary where the unspoken finds a voice, where the invisible takes on weight, colour, and form. In the 12th Annual Women Artists’ Exhibition 2026, we witness the creation of such a sanctuary. The profound gathering of feminine energy, intellect, and raw creative power is an incredible opportunity for feminine creativity. This exhibition is not merely a collection of objects; it is an atlas of the female experience, charted across different geographies, generations, and mediums. From the quiet corners of Chandigarh to the historic landscapes of Greece, from the vibrant streets of Kolkata to the serene expanses of Poland, these artists have woven a collective narrative that is as delicate as a watercolour wash and as enduring as fired stoneware.

This essay invites you to wander through these curated artscapes, exploring the thematic undercurrents that bind these diverse works into a singular, breathtaking symphony.

The Vanguard of Vision: The Awarded Masters

At the heart of this exhibition stand the award-winning works in the Professional Category, each a masterclass in emotional resonance and technical prowess. Naina Somani, hailing from Udaipur, Rajasthan, offers a profound reflection on time and presence with her woodcut on paper, They Saw Me Before. The intricate gouges in the wood reveal layers of memory, proving that printmaking is an excavation of the soul. In Crete, Greece, Aljohara Jeje uses the lens to capture Tais-toi et sois belle – Triptych 01. This expansive photography piece challenges the viewer, its very title a defiance against the silencing of beauty.

In the realm of painting, Sukhjit Kaur from Chandigarh presents Lineage, a towering oil painting. Through the rich, slow-drying medium of oil, Kaur weaves the threads of ancestry, binding generations in a continuous, flowing narrative. Nearby, the vibrant energy of Kolkata pulses through Riya Kar’s Untitled acrylic on canvas, its generous dimensions offering a vast window into the artist’s mind.

Harshita of Chandigarh transforms the tactile earth in her work Fragmented Self. Forged in the intense heat of 1250 degrees centigrade, this stoneware piece serves as a crucible of thought, holding the intangible within its form. Also from Chandigarh, Isha employs etching and aquatint in आधुनिक श्रृंगार और स्वयं की पहचान, bridging traditional adornment with modern identity.

Netri Agrawal of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, brings a fluid gentleness to the gallery with her Untitled watercolour on paper, capturing fleeting moments in delicate pigments. Rounding out the professional awards is Pancham Gaur from Chandigarh, whose etching Walking on Eggshells evokes a visceral sense of caution, fragility, and the delicate navigation of life’s complexities.

The Architecture of Merit

The Merit category reveals a landscape of extraordinary talent, bridging borders and confronting the human condition. In the Professional Category, Swaroop Kanwar of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, creates a mythological reverie with The Mermaid of Jaisalmer, an intimate etching on pop. This is juxtaposed with the urban reality of Nastazja’s Mikolowska Street, a lithograph from Warszawa, Poland, that captures the rhythmic pulse of European cityscapes.

The environment and the cosmos find their voices here as well. Preeti Singh of New Delhi carves the Bloomverse in woodcut, while Jyoti Kushwaha of Noida explores The Nature of Knowledge through an expansive woodcut. From Poland, Karolina Zimna-Stelmaszewska reaches for the stars with Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris), a marbled aquatint mapping the celestial sphere. Yet, the exhibition never strays far from the deeply personal. Arpita Das from Howrah, West Bengal, renders a poignant Struggle with Loneliness in soft pastel, blending the fragility of the medium with the vulnerability of the subject. Nutan Dhiman of Zirakpur, Punjab, reminds us of authenticity in her intaglio work, aptly titled Real is Rare Now. Hemlata of Bokaro Steel City embraces Spontaneity in her etching.

In the Student Category, Deepsikha Das of Kolkata earns merit with Fish Market, a delicate wash onpaper, proving that the mundane holds profound poetic potential.

The Alchemy of Earth, Metal, and Fire

The Selected Professional Artists bring a rich diversity of three-dimensional forms, reminding us of art’s physical weight and spatial presence. Anu Dharmani of New Delhi shapes fibreglass into a versatile form, while Devika Sehgal of Gurugram creates a ceramic sanctuary in Holding Space. Meenakshi Rajendra from Delhi invokes architectural heritage with her ceramic stoneware, Jharoka.

Shivani masterfully handles the timeless medium of bronze from Chandigarh, offering two distinct narratives: the divine connection of Cow with Krishna and the joyous movement of Playful Ride with Friends in welded copper. Sabita Das of Delhi captures the essence of affection in Sneh I, a delicate bronze sculpture.

Wood, a living material, breathes again in the hands of these women. Gurmeet Kaur of Chandigarh sculpts Sheesham wood into the soaring form of Flight, while Sonam Jain, also from Chandigarh, delves inward with her wooden sculpture In Search of Myself. From Aizawl, Mizoram, Ngurtluangpuii Ralte combines acrylic and texture paste in A Vow to the Quiet Waters, adding a profound tactile dimension to the canvas.

Pigments of Memory and Mind

The canvases within this exhibition serve as mirrors reflecting internal battles, dreams, and societal constructs. Andreea Rus from Bistrita, Nasaud, paints The Illusion of Satiety 3 in acrylic, questioning our endless hungers. Bharti Sharma of Zirakpur explores Divine Love on canvas, while Daphy Brar of Chandigarh navigates treacherous waters in The Jug Mug Series “The devil @ the deep blue sea” using watercolour.

The deeply personal is brought to light by artists like Deepali Sandesh Khule of Badlapur with her Dream in oil and acrylic, and Ritu Sinha of New Delhi, who honours maternal bonds in My Mother, an acrylic piece on paper. Shine from Pondicherry takes a bold stance with The Prisons We Broke, an oil on canvas that speaks of liberation and shattered confines. Rajinder Kaur of Patiala pays homage to art history with Carrying Van Gogh Within, while Rakhi Kumar of East Delhi confronts profound themes in The Violence Of Silence, a mixed media work. Monika Goyal from Chandigarh embraces brokenness and healing in My Kintsugi, in Gold.

The Incised Truth and the Captured Light

Printmaking and photography demand a unique discipline—one of deliberate cuts, chemical baths, and the capture of fractions of a second. Anna Rendecka, based in Warsaw, creates digital prints that explore presence in Disappearing / Bogdan (2024). Katarzyna Zablocka from Bialystok, Poland, plays with contrast in Between Shadow and Light_2, while Nataliia Makarovska from Kyiv captures a Self-portrait in a window. In India, Suneet Madan of Mohali provides a photographic Beacon, and Suruchi Gupta of Jaipur confronts mortality in Ritual of Death.

The printmakers offer stunningly detailed topographies of thought. Kate Thomas from London uses collagraphy for Nereid, and Laboni Saha from Siliguri uses lithography for Adorn I. Mahima Ahluwalia of Ambala carves हम (We) into woodcut, while Marcela Montes of Switzerland presents Amazonia I via screen printing. Sonam Sagar, based in New Delhi, uses etching and aquatint to depict a Passenger Waiting for Trackside, a poignant metaphor for transition.

The Rising Voices: Selected Student Artists

The future of art is illuminated by the Selected Student Artists, whose works exhibit a maturity that belies their years. Annu from New Delhi uses etching to depict Safar, elevating the everyday to the realm of fine art. Anshika Lamba of Bangalore wields charcoal to communicate Her Love Language, an exploration of emotion in stark black and white.

Nature and life cycles are prominent themes among the youth. Eeshka Kumari of Katfori paints Rebirth within the Shell in oil, while Archi Bhardwaj of Vadodara captures the Golden Hour in woodcut. Paree Rishi of Sujanpur moulds terracotta into The Climb, and Daisy Naurange of Raipur carves A Fallen Flower Pot in wood.

The students also tackle heavy societal themes with grace. Vanshika from Sonipat presents an intaglio print titled The Load of Living, a stark commentary on the burdens we carry. Trupti Shivaji Wagh of Mumbai celebrates the resilience of Fisher Women on a large acrylic canvas, and Jiya Madaan of Panchkula photographs the Brutalist Frames of Justice. With works like Sushma’s woodcut Perseverance and Manashi Dutta’s etching Attention!, these young artists demonstrate a profound awareness of the world they are set to inherit and reshape.

The 12th Annual Women Artists’ Exhibition 2026 is a monumental testament to the indomitable spirit of female creators. Whether through the fiery crucible of Harshita’s stoneware, the sweeping narrative of Sukhjit Kaur’s oil paints, the delicate bite of Pancham Gaur’s etchings, or the sharp reality of Aljohara Jeje’s photography, these artists have laid their truths bare.

They have transformed empty canvases, blank papers, raw wood, and unformed clay into a resonant dialogue about identity, heritage, nature, and the human soul. As we step back from this vibrant catalogue of human experience, we are left enriched, challenged, and profoundly moved. The voices in this exhibition do not just speak; they echo, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary art.

HOLDING SPACE FOR EMERGING VOICES

I first came to know of Artscape through the invitation to serve as a juror for this year’s exhibition and award. What immediately struck me was the passion and commitment of its founding members, who continue, through their own initiative and dedication, to create opportunities for artists from communities that often remain underrepresented in the art world, particularly women.

Personally, I have never fully believed in the demarcation of artists by gender. Art, to me, has always existed beyond such boundaries. Yet I also recognise the realities of the present moment, where many artists, especially women, still face limited access to platforms and visibility. In that context, initiatives like Artscape become meaningful and necessary. They create spaces where artists can be seen, heard, and encouraged to continue their journeys.

This year the exhibition received a remarkable number of submissions from across India and beyond. It was both humbling and inspiring to encounter the breadth of ideas, materials, and sensibilities reflected in the works. Many of the pieces carried a strong sense of personal voice, while others engaged thoughtfully with social and cultural questions of our time. What united them all was a palpable sincerity and commitment to practice.

Serving as a juror for Artscape has been a deeply rewarding and enriching experience. It reaffirmed for me how vital such collective efforts are in nurturing artistic voices and building a more inclusive cultural landscape. I extend my appreciation to the organisers for their dedication and vision, and I look forward to seeing how this platform continues to grow and support artists in the years to come.

The author is a recipient of the Asia Society Game Changer Award and has been a fellow of the Inlaks Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, and the Asian Cultural Council.