Thukral and Tagra on the Vision That Fuels Their 20-Year Artistic Partnership

For over two decades, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra have been reshaping the contemporary Indian art landscape. Their work spans painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and design, yet what remains central is a commitment to curiosity, collaboration, and social engagement. The duo’s practice explores the intersection of memory, play, and cultural commentary, turning audiences into active participants in their creative process.

Looking back at 20 years of collaboration, they reflect on how working together has shaped not only their art but also their relationship. “Working as collaborative artists is about trust,” they explain. “It is about working on the relationship, believing in one another, and striving together to reach a goal. Creating new works feels like harvesting hope: becoming aware and being honest with ourselves.”

Medium as Message

Thukral & Tagra’s multidisciplinary approach allows them to explore ideas across diverse media. “We often challenge ourselves to learn a new medium,” they say. “Each medium teaches us a new way to approach an idea. The materials we use carry both politics and poetics. When a new concept arrives in the studio, we constantly ask ourselves: will you write it, draw it, paint it, or build an experience from it?”

This method ensures that every project is inextricably linked to its chosen form, allowing meaning to emerge organically through the medium itself.

Play, Memory, and Cultural Commentary

The themes of play, memory, and social observation run like a thread through their practice. “We live in an era flooded with information and misinformation,” they note. “As contemporary artists, we try to navigate this overflow through our work, distilling what we learn and selecting materials that allow the ideas to flow.”

Audience participation is often integral to Thukral and Tagra's projects, creating experiences that are as much social as they are aesthetic. “Sometimes a thought becomes a compelling situation, like a stage set for the audience to fill in. Instruction-based works tap into the pulse of the moment. Our role is to allow people to respond, to feel comfortable or uneasy, guided entirely by what the subject demands.”

Along with their exhibition, Games People Play 02, which is on view until 16th October at Lalit Kala Akademi, the artists exemplify this approach. “It is an experiment, a lens through which we’ve curated our own works over the years,” they explain. “We wanted to expand the idea of institutions as cultural arenas, letting people complete the work themselves. From the very beginning, play has been central to understanding society, how we perform roles, complete tasks, and perhaps prove something to someone.”

Collaboration and the Future of Practice

Thukral & Tagra’s collaborations extend beyond galleries and museums into fashion and product design. “We engage in projects only when we share a common vision,” they say. “There is always something to learn in collaboration, and wherever there is learning, we want to be present.”

Looking ahead, the duo is exploring ideas that have lingered at the edges of their practice while also expanding into curatorial projects focused on sustainability. “We are reflecting on our comforts and discomforts in studio practice, revisiting ideas that never fully took shape. At the same time, we are engaged in curatorial projects such as Sustainable India, exploring sustainable futures and climate action,” they reveal.

A Vision That is Playful yet Thoughtful

Through their twenty-year journey, Thukral & Tagra have shown that contemporary art can be both playful and profound. It can challenge, provoke, and invite, transforming audiences into collaborators. Their work reminds us that creativity is not confined to studio walls but lives in interaction, reflection, and engagement with the world.

As they put it, “Play is essential to understanding. It is how we explore society, materials, and ourselves. Whether through a sports metaphor, a culinary moment, or the act of creating, play shapes our perception and our art.”

In the hands of Thukral & Tagra, contemporary Indian art is not only seen but experienced, not only contemplated but participated in, revealing the endless possibilities when creativity becomes a dialogue rather than a declaration.