Posted on 30 January 2026:

The Poetics of the Ordinary: Mona Bendre’s Solo Exhibition at New Delhi

In a world often dazzled by spectacle, Mona Bendre’s solo exhibition– The Poetics of the Ordinary, invites all to pause and rediscover the quiet eloquence of everyday life.

Curated with sensitivity by Subhra Mazumdar and Gayatri Mathur, this evocative showcase unfolds at Art Magnum, New Delhi, from 2nd February to 14th March 2026. Visitors are welcomed daily between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, with Sunday viewings available by appointment.

Whispers of the Everyday: Mona Bendre’s Quiet Mastery

Curated with poetic sensitivity by Subhra Mazumdar and Gayatri Mathur, The Poetics of the Ordinary offers a rare and contemplative window into the artistic world of Mona Bendre—a painter whose creative journey unfolded in quiet tandem with a life steeped in spirituality, discipline and reverence for the natural and the everyday. As the wife of the legendary artist N.S. Bendre, Mona Bendre’s legacy is both distinct and deeply personal, shaped not by spectacle but by a profound attentiveness to the overlooked.

This posthumous exhibition gathers a selection of works that transform the mundane into the meditative. Corners of rooms, modest landscapes, still life compositions, and floral arrangements become vessels of memory and presence. Bendre’s canvases do not clamor for attention; they invite stillness. They ask us to look again—gently, slowly—at what we often pass by. Each piece is a quiet invocation, a moment suspended in reflection.

Her palette speaks in hushed tones—deep maroons, softened ochres, and earthy browns layered with care. These restrained hues evoke atmosphere rather than drama, intimacy rather than grandeur. The surfaces, textured and deliberate, suggest rhythms of repetition and time lived slowly. There is no urgency here, only the quiet pulse of a life observed with grace.

Floral motifs recur like whispered prayers throughout the exhibition. Often painted from fallen blossoms gathered in her garden, these arrangements are not mere decoration—they are acts of devotion. Each flower, rendered with tonal nuance and gentle technique, becomes a symbol of dignity, transience, and personal memory. In Bendre’s hands, the ordinary becomes sacred, and the small gestures of daily life bloom into profound artistic statements.

The Poetics of the Ordinary: A Tribute to Mona Bendre

Alongside her meditative still lifes, the exhibition unveils select landscapes and early works from the late 1960s, where Mona Bendre’s confident impasto and expressive textures first found voice. A contrasting series of vibrant still lifes—alive with reds, yellows, and metallic tones—offers a joyful counterpoint to her earth-toned palette, revealing the breadth of her sensibility.

Together, these works affirm her belief that meaning resides not in spectacle, but in the familiar moments we often overlook. They invite slowness, reflection, and emotional connection, urging viewers to linger with their own lived experiences.

Made possible through the devotion of her son Padmanabh Bendre and granddaughter-in-law Sonia Bendre, this posthumous exhibition is both homage and invitation—a chance to rediscover the quiet poetry woven into everyday life.