The Lexicon Art gallery in Connaught Place, New Delhi, opened a thought-provoking exhibition titled Dvaita (द्वैत): Dualities on April 18, 2026. Curated by artist and architect Ankon Mitra, the show delves into the philosophical concept of dualism, presenting a dynamic interplay of opposites such as black and white, gold and silver, blue and red, shiny and rough, geometric precision and amorphous fluidity, heaviness and lightness, and material juxtapositions like canvas and steel, wall and ceiling. The exhibition aims to reveal how these contrasts ultimately resolve into Advaita (अद्वैत), a state of oneness.
Opening Event Highlights
The opening evening was graced by eminent poet, fiction writer, and art critic Prayag Shukla, and Dr. Rashmi Singh, Secretary of NDMC, as special guests. Other notable attendees included art critic and curator Uma Nair, Neelam Pratap Rudy, artist Manoj Arora, artist Divyaman Singh, Dr. Rennie Joyy, Parul Mahajan, Radhika Manocha, and many more.
Featured Artists and Works
The exhibition features eleven artists: Ankon Mitra, Divyendu Anand, Keshari Nandan, Meenakshi Jha Banerjee, Naman Mahipal, Neerja Chandna Peters, Nimesh Patel, Pratap Chandra Chakraborty, Shalini Mithal, Shovin Bhattacharjee, and Vinod Daroz. Their works span paintings, sculptures, installations, and murals, creating an immersive environment where artworks converse across mediums and forms.
Curatorial Vision
Mamta Nath, Founder-Director of The Lexicon Art, noted that the exhibition draws from India's lived reality, where contrasts coexist seamlessly—mansions beside slums, gulmohar-lined avenues next to broken pavements, and humans sharing roads with animals. Rejecting the sterile white cube gallery model, the exhibition embraces this layered reality, allowing artworks to clash and coalesce across surfaces, guiding viewers toward unity and synthesis.
Curator Ankon Mitra described the exhibition as the culmination of a four-year curatorial journey. Drawing parallels with Indian life, he highlighted how dualities—from maximalism and minimalism to wealth and poverty, chaos and order—are not contradictions but essential forces that shape meaning. The exhibition reflects Eastern philosophical traditions where opposites are interdependent, inviting viewers to experience and internalise these tensions rather than resolve them prematurely.
Viewing Experience
At its core, Dvaita (द्वैत): Dualities challenges conventional art viewing. Moving away from isolated displays, it recreates the density and simultaneity of the real world, particularly the Indian context, where contrasts exist in constant dialogue. The exhibition encourages viewers to navigate resonance and dissonance, ultimately arriving at a moment of clarity—an 'aha' experience—where dualities dissolve into a cohesive whole.
The exhibition remains open to the public until May 18, 2026.
