Posted on 12 November 2025:

“In Bloom”: Shipra Bhattacharya’s Five-Decade Journey Returns to Delhi

AFTER A DECADE-LONG PAUSE, RENOWNED ARTIST SHIPRA BHATTACHARYA RETURNS TO DELHI WITH IN BLOOM: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIVE DECADES–A POWERFUL SOLO EXHIBITION CURATED BY RENOWNED JONAKI BHATTACHARYA.

Hosted at CCA, Bikaner House, New Delhi, from 15th to 23rd November 2025, this showcase invites viewers into a world shaped by emotion, memory and quiet strength.

“In Bloom” is not just my story—“it’s a reflection of my artistic journey—it’s a mirror to the many inner landscapes I’ve traversed over the past five decades. Each work carries traces of silence and song, rupture and resilience. I’ve always believed that the quiet spaces within us hold immense power—not as an escape, but as a way of seeing the world more truthfully.” — Shipra Bhattacharya

Through her signature figuration, Bhattacharya captures the solitude of urban women, the weight of collective trauma, and the enduring spirit of poetic resistance. Her recurring image of the woman on the terrace speaks of freedom within everyday life—an emblem of reflection and resilience.

“Through these paintings, I’ve tried to honour the dignity of everyday life, the imaginative strength of women, and the moral urgency of bearing witness. In Bloom…. is my way of saying that introspection, too, can be a form of resistance.” –Shipra Bhattacharya added.

From early introspective works to bold responses like Taposhi, which responds to the Singur tragedy, and War, this exhibition is a rare chance to witness five decades of artistic truth, told with grace and unwavering clarity.

Eminent artist Shipra Bhattacharya’s recent works offer a poetic blend of emotion, memory, and myth. Floating (2023) contrasts lush life with haunting emptiness, held together by a serene central figure. In He (2021), the male body becomes a canvas of city stories, while People (2023) celebrates shared identity in vivid detail. Desire (2022) flows like a dream river through the urban soul, and He (2023) gently reshapes masculinity as care. Her She series, especially the iconic 2002 piece, reveals the feminine as divine, cosmic, and deeply imagined—a quiet universe between truth and transcendence.

Among the luminous highlights of Shipra Bhattacharya’s journey are works that speak softly yet powerfully. Kolkata (2016) paints the city as a living memory, tender and wistful. Floating (2020) offers a gentle reflection on care in uncertain times, while Gaj Yatra (2018) turns an elephant procession into a symbol of feminine unity. With War and Stop War (2014), Bhattacharya embraces bold abstraction to confront shared pain. The sculptural Desire (1998) captures longing with quiet grace, and Floating (2021–22) transforms her delicate lines into a three-dimensional form that invites close, contemplative viewing.

Shipra Bhattacharya’s art flows from a place of deep feeling and quiet strength.

Beginning as a self-taught artist, she followed an inner call to create—an instinct as natural as breath. Her journey, shaped by both science and formal training in Kolkata, led to a unique visual language rooted in empathy and memory. Through graceful figures of women, workers and everyday life, Shipra Bhattacharya captures the poetry of the ordinary. Her canvases echo with nature, myth and emotion, while her sculptural works extend this vision into space—inviting us to pause, feel and remember.

Since 1981, Shipra Bhattacharya has carved a quiet yet powerful path in contemporary art, exploring themes of feminine identity and longing with depth and grace. Her solo exhibitions—like Desire and EVE—have drawn acclaim for their emotional clarity and timeless relevance. From Kolkata to New Delhi, Dubai to New York, her work has travelled across borders, resonating with audiences worldwide. Choosing reflection over trend, Shipra Bhattacharya’s art has matured with purpose, becoming a voice of strength and subtlety.