Posted on 10 January 2026:

Looking Southwards: A Journey Through DakshinaChitra’s Artistic Legacy

Step into the vibrant soul of South India at Looking Southwards, an evocative exhibition curated by Shruti Parthasarathy. Held at the Varija Art Gallery in DakshinaChitra, Muttukadu, Chennai, this showcase celebrates the region’s rich craft, art and cultural heritage.

On January 9, 2026, the exhibition was gracefully inaugurated by Dr. Deborah Thiagarajan, a celebrated art historian and founder of DakshinaChitra. The event drew a vibrant gathering of renowned artists and passionate art lovers, setting the tone for a journey into South India’s creative soul.

“The exhibition features works by South India-based artists, including key figures of the Madras Art Movement active in the mid-to-late twentieth century, alongside significant Indian contemporaries and select foreign artists. These works are presented in conjunction with vibrant craft and art practices across secular and ritual-votive traditions, registering the breadth and diversity of South India’s visual and material culture,” says renowned Shruti Parthasarathy.

Shruti Parthasarathy, a Chennai-based curator and literary translator, working across literature, art and cinema,  weaves her deep research into postcoloniality and regional modernisms into this thoughtful curation—where art becomes both archive and awakening.

From January 9 to February 15, and again from March 9 to March 30, the gallery opens its doors to a tapestry of visual stories—each artwork a tribute to tradition, memory, and creative spirit.