Mumbai prepares to welcome a deeply personal exhibition that opens the doors to a world of non-figurative art. The Presence of Absence, presented by Space118 Art Foundation, brings over 100 works from the private collection of Mumbai-based patron and art supporter Saloni Doshi into the public eye. On view from November 13, 2025, to February 16, 2026, the exhibition is curated by interior architect Kunal Shah.
Speaking about the curatorial intent, Shah shares that the theme immediately resonated with him. “The Presence of Absence felt like a poetic paradox, a space where form dissolves into feeling and what is unseen becomes as charged as what is visible. It echoed the tension which abstraction has held between materiality and memory," he says. He goes on to add that in shaping the show, intuition guided every decision. “We asked which works could articulate absence without over-defining it and which silences were essential to let the exhibition breathe.”
Before it opens to the public, Space118 Art Foundation will host an intimate preview on Wednesday, November 12 from 5 pm to 8 pm, featuring a live conversation between Doshi and fellow collector Kavita Singh from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. It is a chance to witness not just the artworks, but the dialogue and sensibilities that have shaped the collection over two decades.
The exhibition takes viewers through landscapes, geometry, gesture, and abstraction. It brings together the finest names in contemporary Indian art, including Viswanadhan, M Krishna Reddy, Zarina, and Dashrath Patel, alongside younger artists shaping the future of non-figurative expression.
For Doshi, abstraction is a deeply personal relationship. She recalls the moment her connection with abstraction began. “When Zarina’s work came into my space, everything changed. I had known many abstract painters before, but had never felt such a close connection until a piece entered my home. It is different to see abstraction publicly and to live with it,” she says. Living with the work pushed her to look deeper. “As I began to understand it more, I started reading between the lines,” adds Doshi.
The exhibition features a rare Mehlli Gobhai canvas from the 1970s, created during the artist’s brief exploration of colour. Zarina’s maps of Delhi (erstwhile Shahjahanabad) turn memory into visual poetry, while Manisha Parekh’s Wings series plays with rhythm and movement. Seher Shah’s etchings balance architectural precision with musical composition. Together, the works reinforce that abstraction is not a style, but a state of mind.
What anchors the exhibition is Doshi's instinctive way of collecting. Through Space118, she has nurtured over 500 emerging artists with residencies and grants, long before many had gained mainstream visibility. “As a collector today, I am less interested in buying the known and more in showing the unknown. My journey has never been about buying a name; it has always been about creating one,” she explains, adding: “It excites me to display works that spark curiosity. This show is not only about artists people already know but also about discovering those they do not.”
For her, abstraction is about stillness. “It is the absence of the figure, the diminishing of a direct statement, and the calmness these works bring me. That stillness is what keeps me returning to them.”
Fellow collector Singh appreciates how differently people respond to abstraction based on its setting. “In a gallery, the artwork exists surrounded by other works, under varied lighting and within a different spatial context. You might love something in a show, but when it comes home, your connection to it shifts, because it needs to resonate with the space you live in every day,” Singh explains.
Her approach to collecting mirrors her philosophy as an interior designer. “I prefer muted, understated upholstery and curtains so that the artwork becomes the focal point. A room works best when your eye can take in everything together rather than being overwhelmed by a single piece.”
With a visible rise in young collectors, Singh shares what she wishes someone had told her at the start. “See as much as you can, set a budget, and buy what you love. Do not buy because something is in trend or because someone tells you it will appreciate in value. The connection should be instant.”
For Doshi, though, collecting is about contribution: “Collecting is a form of consuming, and when you have enjoyed so much, it is time to give back. In India, what we lack is not collecting, but a culture of sharing.” Her hope is that more private collections become accessible to the public. “Every collector’s journey has a story. Sometimes hearing those stories helps young collectors find validation, guidance, and a voice of their own,” she says.
As Shah reflects, there is a certain beauty in knowing when to reveal and when to hold back, and Doshi's collection embraces that restraint with grace. The exhibition will be on view from 13 November 2025 till 16 February 2026 from 11 am to 5 pm every day, including Sundays and Public holidays at Space118 Art Foundation, Mumbai, India. For those who believe that art is something to be experienced, The Presence of Absence exhibition becomes an introspective dialogue.