IGNCA Collaborates with Sareekah Agarwaal to Showcase Expressions of the Loom in Abhivyakti
Opening on the evening of December 29, Abhivyakti will be the inaugural exhibition at Darshanam I & II, the galleries at IGNCA, and will remain on view through January 08, 2026.
Abhivyakti explores how textiles collected over a lifetime become part of our identity and tell our stories carrying with them memories, values, and emotional connections. Dr. Vatsyayan’s thoughtfully curated textile collection, now preserved at IGNCA, is one such story – a testament to her refined sensibility, her deep rooted engagement with India’s cultural traditions, and her belief in the power of safeguarding heritage.
“I believe it’s important to preserve India’s textile treasures for posterity, and it becomes even more crucial when the collection belongs to stalwarts of our intellectual and cultural arena,” said Dr. Achal Pandya, Head, Conservation Division, IGNCA. “Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan was an authority on Indian arts and an institution-builder in many fields. Viewing textiles from her collection will allow people to connect with a woman who shaped India’s cultural discourse and lived a life immersed in tradition, yet ever forward-looking.”
The exhibition showcases over 50 textiles, representing 50 different craft traditions from across India. Newly developed display cases, preservation fixtures, and mounts, designed by the Conservation Division at IGNCA, ensure the safety and stability of these textiles while they are on display.
The exhibition is organized into six zones – East, West, North, South, Central and North East – each offering visitors an encounter with textile treasures representative of the region.
“Abhivyakti is not merely a display of textiles but a finely articulated and coherent curatorial statement that weaves together multiple strands – research, sensitivity and vision. Its strength lies in the sense of completeness it conveys, which resonates deeply with Dr. Vatsyayan’s lifelong philosophy that the arts must be understood not in isolation, but within their fullest cultural, aesthetic and philosophical context. IGNCA is proud to present this exhibition with the conviction that it will inspire renewed engagement with India’s textile heritage, encourage deeper inquiry, and spark meaningful collaborations for the future,” said Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA.
Adding to this, Prof. (Dr) Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dean, IGNCA, remarked:
“Textiles have been integral to human civilisation, reflecting cultural, social, and economic narratives. India’s diverse textile traditions form a living archive of its civilisational ethos. Abhivyakti foregrounds this richness while honouring Dr Kapila Vatsyayan’s vision, where material culture serves as a vital lens to understand India’s pluralistic heritage.”
Reflecting on her curatorial journey, Ms. Sareekah Agarwaal shared, “As a scholar, institution-builder, and connoisseur, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan’s relationship with textiles was not merely aesthetic – it was intimate, intellectual and spiritual. Though I never had the privilege of meeting her, I feel her presence vividly through the textiles she left behind. When I touch these textiles, I imagine her – the way she might have chosen them, worn them or simply cherished them. With every piece documented I feel a step closer to her.
Now, in her physical absence, this collection becomes not only a treasure but a responsibility. These textiles deserve to be seen, remembered and preserved not only for memory’s sake but for posterity.
Abhivyakti is both a celebration of the variety and brilliance of Indian textiles and a reminder of their fragility, emotional significance, and the urgent need to care for them. May it inspire us all to look again at the textile treasures within our own homes – not just with admiration but with responsibility. Let us listen to their echoes, and pass them on – well preserved and honoured.”
