Art SG Singapore, 2026: Between Worlds: Memory, myth and the Metaphysical

As a debut participant at ART SG, Milaaya Art Gallery is proud to present a focused and thoughtfully curated booth for the FOCUS FIRST section that brings together three distinctive voices in Indian contemporary art: Manjunath Kamath, Priyantha Udagedara, and Ranbir Kaleka. This selection represents our gallery’s commitment to artists whose practices are deeply conceptual, yet rooted in material richness and cross cultural resonance.

At the heart of this presentation is the medium of hand embroidery, used as a conceptual and material extension of each artist's philosophical and narrative inquiry. Executed with remarkable finesse and depth, the embroidery brings a tactile intensity to their visions, reinforcing the labor of memory and the physical act of storytelling. The slow, meticulous process of hand-stitching echoes the deliberate layering of thought, symbol, and history that defines their artistic language.

Manjunath Kamath draws from a wide archive of cultural and historical references to build enigmatic visual narratives. His embroidered works transform mythological and folkloric references into surreal, hybrid figures, creating dreamlike compositions that feel simultaneously ancient and futuristic.

Priyantha Udagedara explores postcolonial identity and cultural memory through symbolic landscapes, using nature as a lens to examine colonial history and human intervention. In embroidery, his contemplative imagery gains material depth, where land, history, and memory are held together through thread.

Ranbir Kaleka, channels a quiet psychological intensity through embroidered surfaces that appear painterly yet precise. His visual language intersecting dream and memory, finds new resonance in thread, where movement and stillness coalesce.

Through this presentation, we aim to introduce international audiences to a nuanced, tactile, and introspective dimension of Indian contemporary art, where ancient narrative traditions meet contemporary artistic inquiry. The booth aligns perfectly with the vision of the FOCUS FIRST section: offering a cohesive thematic presentation, engaging with important regional voices, and bringing forth a materiality and narrative strategy that is both rooted and globally resonant