August offers a rich panorama of art and culture across India, from Delhi’s solo and group exhibitions on migration, memory, ritual and urban life to Kolkata’s archival shows, Chennai’s city-wide contemporary platform, Patna’s sculptural retrospective and Goa’s multidisciplinary exploration of labour and impermanence, inviting audiences to stay closely tuned to the country’s creative pulse.
India's metropolitans have their weeks packed in with cultural events each month. Whether it's an art exhibition, an art fair, or something else, there's never a day when the cities are silent in their art galleries and museums. Even beyond the metropolitans, in places like Goa and Kochi, cultural activities abound. This month of August looks particularly special for events across the country. If you wish to remain up to speed with the finest of art events, keep a watch at this space.
A solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Monali Meher, bringing together sculpture, installation, drawing, textile, photography and video. The show explores migration, memory, and the relationships between people, place and the natural world.
Dates: July 31 – August 17
Venue: LATITUDE 28, B-74, Ground Floor, Block B, Defence Colony, New Delhi – 110024
A solo exhibition by acclaimed ceramic artist Keshari Nandan, curated by Uma Nair, spanning over three decades of engagement with clay through stoneware sculptures and functional ceramics. More than thirty recent works examine materiality, craftsmanship and the transformative role of fire in contemporary ceramic practice.
Dates: August 11–17
Venue: Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
Close | Far – Lean In, Step Back
A group exhibition curated by Yamini Telkar, bringing together works by Kavita Nayyar, Vanita Gupta, Savya Jain and Aman Kumar Bavaria. The show explores how scale shapes perception and intimacy in contemporary art.
Dates: August 8 – September 12
Venue: Sameksha, Sanatan: IILM Centre for Arts & Ideas, New Delhi
Inward
Celebrated couturier Harpreet Narula's solo debut as a contemporary artist, curated by Vikram Singh. Drawing on decades of experience with fabric, pattern and craftsmanship, Narula's abstract paintings take inspiration from the frescoes of Shekhawati and the painted havelis of Rajasthan and Punjab, exploring repetition as a meditative process.
Dates: August 3-21
Venue: Art Explore, E-55, Lower Ground, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi
Performing Belief
A group exhibition curated by Rahul Kumar, bringing together 22 artists spanning modern, folk, tribal and contemporary practices, including S. H. Raza, F. N. Souza, M. F. Husain and Jamini Roy. The show explores ritual beyond religion, as memory, material, repetition and lived experience.
Dates: August 13 – September 30
Venue: Kalakaar Art Salon, D-64, Second Floor, Defence Colony, New Delhi
Shots in the Dark
A solo exhibition by Chandra Bhattacharjee, presenting monumental charcoal drawings of street dwellers, workers and neighbourhood characters alongside delicate watercolours of everyday objects. The show explores visibility, anonymity and the dignity of those who quietly shape city life, marking Art Alive Gallery's 25th anniversary.
Dates: August 1-20
Venue: Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
Satish Gujral Centenary Postage Stamp
Raseel Gujral Art Legacy, with the Department of Posts, has released a commemorative postage stamp marking the birth centenary of artist Satish Gujral, unveiled by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia at Bikaner House. The design is drawn from a rare 2010 self-portrait held in Raseel Gujral Ansal's private collection. Limited-edition stamp collectibles, the Centenary Edition and Centenary Master Edition, are also on display, available at Arzaani Atelier Prive and 72 Philately Bureaux nationwide.
Dates: August 4-9
Venue: Bikaner House, New Delhi
Timings: 11 am to 7 pm
Study UK Creative Connections 2026
A showcase of art, design and innovation presented by the British Council, featuring 28 acclaimed UK alumni artists exhibiting one-of-a-kind compositions across visual arts, design, photography, digital media and mixed media. This year's theme, My World, My Story, explores personal journeys, identity and culture through creative expression.
Dates: Till August 24
Venue: British Council, 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
Opening Hours: Daily (except public holidays), 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Three Upcoming Exhibitions at Emami Art
Emami Art, Kolkata, opens three exhibitions on August 9, 2026, spanning painting, sculpture, textiles, photography and ecological practice. Soma Das explores everyday resilience through mixed media; Ruma Choudhury presents handmade paper works as ecological archives; and Kushal Ray shows a rare photographic archive of Kolkata from the early 1990s. Together, the shows trace material, memory and the city across three distinct practices.
Dates: August 9 – September 119
Venue: Emami Art, Kolkata
A city-wide contemporary art platform bringing together India's leading galleries across Chennai, built around the curatorial theme "Practices in Continuum: Tracing the Present." Spanning 20 days, 66 artists and 10+ venues, the edition presents exhibitions, panel discussions, artist walkthroughs and workshops exploring memory, identity, ecology, migration and materiality.
Dates: August 8–25
Venue: Lalit Kala Akademi and partner venues, Chennai
A major retrospective by acclaimed contemporary sculptor Rajesh Ram, presented in collaboration with Bihar Museum. Drawing from memories of his childhood in rural Jharkhand, the exhibition traces Ram's journey from village life to one of India's most distinctive sculptural practices, through recurring motifs of paper boats, rivers, trees and birds.
Dates: August 7 – September 7
Venue: Bihar Museum, Patna
A multidisciplinary exhibition by independent filmmaker Purandar Chaudhuri, conceived by Jooby Yohannan and curated by Johny ML. Bringing together experimental cinema, photography, sound and visual essays, the exhibition explores migration, labour, memory and impermanence, alongside film screenings, photographic installations and the launch of the Goa Cyanotype Notebook.
Dates: August 12–14
Venue: Museum of Goa, Pilerne, Goa