‘NEPATHYA KE RANG’ – The Colours Behind the Curtain-An artistic exploration of the unseen dimensions of Varanasi
*An Exhibition of Art by Ms. Aashima Mehrotra and Shri Banshidhar Pratihary
Mumbai shrekesh Choubey:-
The Exhibition of Art – ‘Nepathya Ke Rang’ – The Colours Behind the Curtain’, featuring the works of Shri Banshidhar Pratihary and Ms. Aashima Mehrotra, was inaugurated today at Gallery No. 02, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. The exhibition offers an evocative artistic exploration of Varanasi, delving beyond its iconic architecture and ritualistic traditions to explore the city’s deeper emotional, spiritual and metaphysical dimensions.
The inauguration was graced by Ms. Pheroza Godrej, Founder and Director, Cymroza Art Gallery, as the Chief Guest. The Guests of Honour included Shri Santosh Kumar Jha, CMD, Konkan Railway; Shri Rajendra Patil, President, Bombay Art Society; and Shri Biren Das, Senior Artist.
*The Art*
Inspired by Varanasi’s timeless character and its association with the eternal cycle of life, death and renewal, the exhibition presents the city as a metaphor for infinity. Through layered abstractions, luminous textures, fluid forms and symbolic colours, the artworks move beyond physical representations of the city to explore its unseen energies, collective memories and spiritual consciousness.
At its core, ‘Nepathya Ke Rang’ invites viewers to look beyond the visible landscape of Varanasi and engage with the memories, emotions and spiritual reflections that shape its enduring identity. The exhibition ultimately transforms the city into a mirror for personal contemplation, exploring the relationship between presence and absence, form and formlessness, and the finite and the infinite.
*The Artists-*
*Shri Banshidhar Pratihary*, an eminent artist and distinguished alumnus of Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, brings to the exhibition a contemplative artistic vision shaped by the legacy of legendary artist and educator Nandalal Bose. His contribution to Indian art has been recognised through several honours, including the President’s Gold Medal, a State Award and the Dharmapada Award, Odisha’s highest honour for artists, conferred in 2023.
*Ms. Aashima Mehrotra*, a contemporary visual artist and senior officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), complements this artistic legacy with a distinctive visual language rooted in spirituality, nature, cultural memory and human emotion. Her practice spans abstraction, symbolism and mixed-media experimentation, with particular emphasis on encaustic art, in which layers of wax, resin and pigments become metaphors for memory and lived experience. Her artistic journey includes participation in national and international exhibitions, including the 64th National Exhibition of Art (2024–25), the Eurasia Busan International Art Fair 2025 and an ICCR-sponsored exhibition in Beijing.
The coming together of these two artists creates a dialogue between tradition and contemporary expression, artistic inheritance and individual exploration. While Pratihary’s work reflects a mature engagement with India’s artistic and cultural traditions, Mehrotra’s practice explores the possibilities of material, colour and texture in articulating the unseen.
The exhibition will remain open to the public from 20 to 26 October 2026, between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM daily, at Gallery No. 02, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai.
