Tyeb Mehta: Bearing Weight (with the lightness of being)

Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) with Tyeb Mehta Foundation and Saffronart Foundation, is pleased to present a major solo exhibition of Tyeb Mehta (1925–2009), titled TYEB MEHTA - Bearing Weight (with the lightness of being), to commemorate the birth centenary of one of India’s most iconic modernists. Opening on 13 November 2025 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai, as part of ART MUMBAI, the exhibition brings back to his home city some of Mehta’s most celebrated series alongside early drawings and paintings.

Conceived as a prelude to the forthcoming retrospective at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, curated by Roobina Karode (Director and Chief Curator, KNMA), the presentation offers rare insights into Mehta’s artistic legacy. Following its presentation at ART MUMBAI, the exhibition will remain on view at the Saffronart gallery, Mumbai from 18 November, until 30 November 2025. The retrospective is scheduled to open in February 2026 at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, coinciding with the India Art Fair 2026.

The panel will explore Tyeb Mehta’s legacies and global impact amid his ongoing retrospective exhibition at ART MUMBAI, presented by the Saffronart Foundation, Tyeb Mehta Foundation and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. It will bring together voices to reflect on his enduring influence, the evolution of modern Indian art, and the continued relevance of his ideas today. Tyeb Mehta, a key figure in Indian modernism, explored themes of violence, mythology, and the human condition through his distinct visual language. Influenced by Partition, Francis Bacon, and American minimalism, his motifs of falling figures and diagonals evoke tension and struggle. This panel examines his legacy, influences, and enduring impact.

Tyeb Mehta’s first and only film, Koodal (1970), is a 16min 16sec experimental meditation on violence and resilience. The much acclaimed film was produced by the Film Division of India, was awarded Filmfare Critics’ Award, 1970. Tyeb with his nuanced use of metaphors bleeds his visual sensibilities beyond canvas- into motion, sound and silence. As a fellow artist and a friend Krishen Khanna observes, Koodal stands as “a message of non-violence,” a profound reflection on trauma, faith and hope of a nation scarred by partition.

Film Screening Timings:
Thursday, November 13, 2025 - 4:45 to 5:00 P.M.
Friday, November 14, 2025 - 11:30 - 11:45 A.M.
Saturday, November 15, 2025 - 6:30 - 6:45 P.M.
Sunday, November 16, 2025 - 12:30 to 12:45 P.M