L: Encaged Nose (6_9), Lithograph, 22 x 18.5 in, 1987. R: Self, Etching, 7.5 x 5 in,1978.
'Gallery Ragini presents The Grammar of the Self, a major retrospective of acclaimed artist and printmaker Kanchan Chander, curated by Kishore Singh. Opening on 12 September 2026 at Bikaner House, New Delhi, the exhibition brings together drawings, prints and selected mixed media works spanning more than five decades, offering an unprecedented opportunity to experience the remarkable breadth and evolution of an artistic practice shaped by observation, memory and an enduring commitment to drawing.
At the heart of The Grammar of the Self is drawing, a medium that has anchored Chander's practice and served as the foundation of her artistic language. Bringing together early portraits, self-portraits and figurative studies alongside celebrated prints and recent abstract works, the exhibition reveals an artist who has continually expanded her visual vocabulary while remaining deeply rooted in the instinctive act of mark-making. The title reflects this evolving language, a personal grammar that observes, internalises and transforms experience into enduring visual expression.
L: Encaged I Artist proof 2_6, Etching & Aquatint, 12.5 x 10 in, 1981. R: The Forlorn Queen (4_9 Diptych), Woodcut, 25 x 19 in, 1992.
Shaped by her formative years in New Delhi, East Berlin, Santiago and Paris, Chander's practice moves fluidly between the intimate and the universal. Whether depicting the human figure, domestic interiors or architectural forms, her works combine exceptional technical mastery with emotional depth, rewarding close and sustained engagement. Across etching, lithography, woodcut and drawing, the exhibition highlights an artist who has consistently pushed the expressive possibilities of printmaking while creating work that is both intellectually rigorous and profoundly personal.
Curated by Kishore Singh, The Grammar of the Self places works from across Chander's career in conversation for the first time, revealing the enduring ideas, recurring motifs and visual continuities that define her artistic practice. More than a retrospective, the exhibition is a landmark celebration of one of India's foremost printmakers, offering a rare and compelling insight into a practice that has shaped the language of contemporary Indian printmaking while affirming drawing as the enduring thread through which Chander has understood herself and the world.'
The Grammar of the Self is on view at Bikaner House until 18th September and at Gallery Ragini from 21st September to 31st October, 2026.
Words Platform Desk
Date 14.9.2026