Presented by National Gallery of Modern Art, and Ministry of Culture in collaboration with JSW Foundation, Satish Gujral: The Modernist Returns marks the Mumbai chapter of the year-long centenary celebration. Curated by Pramod Kumar K.G., the exhibition brings together over 100 works spanning painting, sculpture, drawing, mixed media and architecture, alongside personal archives, photographs and accolades. Together, they offer an expansive view of an artist whose practice continually crossed disciplinary boundaries.
Reflecting on JSW’s association with the centenary exhibition, Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, JSW Foundation, says, “Satish Gujral was one of India’s great creative voices, whose work across art and architecture was deeply connected to our history, identity and changing nation. I have always admired the resilience, curiosity and constant experimentation that defined both his life and his work. My association with Satish ji goes back to my childhood, when I first encountered his work through his contribution to the making of my father’s home—an experience that gave me, from an early age, a deeply personal appreciation of his distinctive ability to bring together architecture, art and space. In his centenary year, it is especially meaningful for JSW to support Satish Gujral: The Modernist Returns and bring this landmark exhibition to Mumbai. I hope it allows new generations to discover the extraordinary range and enduring legacy of his work.”
The opening evening commenced with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony led by Dr Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, Director General, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Smt Nidhi Choudhari, IAS, Director, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, Urmila Kanoria, Founder, Kanoria Centre for Arts; Sangita Jindal Chairperson, JSW Foundation, Neena Goel, Head of India Onshore, HSBC India; and Dr Pheroza J. Godrej, art historian, founder of Cymroza Gallery, and chairperson of the Museum Society of Mumbai.
The ceremony was followed by felicitations, welcome address by the curator and author Pramod Kumar K.G., and addresses by the evening’s distinguished guests. Reflecting on Gujral’s remarkable journey, Smt Nidhi Choudhari, Director, NGMA Mumbai says:
“I had the opportunity to visit the centenary exhibition at NGMA Delhi, and was deeply moved by the sheer magnitude, scale and diversity of Gujral’s work. Of the many exhibitions I have encountered, it remains among the most inspiring and moving. It is therefore a matter of particular personal satisfaction for me that this remarkable exhibition has now travelled to NGMA Mumbai, returning, in a sense, to the city where his formal artistic journey began.” says Smt Nidhi Choudhari, Director, NGMA Mumbai.
A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, Mexico’s Order of the Aztec Eagle and Belgium’s Order of the Crown, Satish Gujral remains a defining figure in the history of modern Indian art. His career was marked by a constant restlessness—a willingness to question the boundaries of medium, material and discipline, and to reinvent his visual language across decades.
Brought to Mumbai in association with HSBC India, the exhibition will be on view for six weeks, from 9 October to 20 November 2026. Commenting on HSBC India’s association with the exhibition, Sandeep Batra, Head, International Wealth and Premier Banking, HSBC India, said:
“Art and culture have a unique ability to connect people, perspectives and generations. At HSBC India, we’re pleased to support initiatives that make these conversations more accessible, encourage curiosity, creativity and a deeper appreciation of the world around us. By bringing diverse audiences together, such platforms help foster a more inclusive and vibrant cultural ecosystem.”
For Gujral Foundation, the centenary is an opportunity to bring Gujral’s work into dialogue with audiences today. Speaking about this seamless relationship between disciplines and the significance of bringing the centenary exhibition to Mumbai, Mohit Gujral says
“ I hope the exhibition reveals the seamless evolution of his practice – from painting to sculpture to architecture, each medium informing and enriching the next. In many ways, it is the singular evolution of a polymath: one creative mind continually reinventing itself across disciplines, yet always speaking in its own distinctive language.”
Satish Gujral: The Modernist Returns brings the artist back to a city that marked the beginning of his artistic story, while opening his work to a new generation. It is a return, but not a retrospective in the conventional sense; rather, it is an invitation to encounter Gujral as he always worked—restlessly, across disciplines, and in constant motion. It will be accompanied by a public programme of curated walkthroughs, conversations, panel discussions, screenings, performances, artist engagements and special programmes developed with cultural and institutional partners, extending engagement with Gujral’s legacy beyond the gallery.
Fact Sheet
Title: Satish Gujral: The Modernist Returns — A Hundred Years of Restless Imagination
Dates: 9 October – 20 November 2026
Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
Curator: Pramod Kumar K.G.
Presented by: National Gallery of Modern Art and Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with JSW Foundation
In association with: HSBC India
If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.
