New Delhi — Dhoomimal Gallery, one of India’s oldest and most revered art institutions, presents LIMINAL LINES — a landmark retrospective marking five decades of the prolific artistic journey of Ashok Bhowmick, the celebrated master of cross-hatching and one of India’s most enduringly relevant painters.
Curated by Prof. Rajan Shripad Fulari, Dean of the School of Visual Arts at the World University of Design (WUD), the exhibition offers an expansive view of Bhowmick’s creative evolution — from his evocative black-and-white drawings of the 1970s to his monumental canvases and more recent ventures into printmaking and sculpture. The retrospective is not only a celebration of form and technique but also of the artist’s unwavering belief in the power of art as social conscience.
Ashok Bhowmick’s art has long been a reflection of his deep engagement with humanity, empathy, and resistance. His cross-hatching technique — repetitive yet meditative — transforms the line into a vessel of emotion and memory. “All artists should also engage with literature, poetry, theatre, and cinema,” Bhowmick shares, reflecting on his creative process. “The transmutation of a text into image is an alchemy worthy of knowing. Sensitivity grows only when you have let all forms of art speak within you. To produce work of consequence, an artist must be open to receive influence, and yet still speak in his own visual language.”
This spirit of interdisciplinary exploration defines his oeuvre — where each stroke resonates with rhythm, reflection, and relevance. His drawings, often marked by restraint, carry the weight of lived experience, while his large-format canvases breathe with defiance and empathy, narrating stories of the marginalized and unseen.
Curator Prof. Rajan Shripad Fulari describes Bhowmick as “a chronicler of our times”, whose art transforms simplicity into strength. “For over six decades, he has turned the simplest of lines into instruments of memory, resistance, and empathy,” Fulari observes. “His mastery of cross-hatching is not merely a technical achievement but a deeply human gesture — an act of patience, resilience, and quiet defiance. In an art world often driven by spectacle and market trends, Bhowmick chose a solitary and ethical path, guided by truth and by his unwavering belief in the dignity of human life.”
Through LIMINAL LINES, viewers encounter not only the visual evolution of an artist but also the moral and emotional depth that underpins his practice. Each work, whether an early drawing or a contemporary composition, bears witness to Bhowmick’s steadfast pursuit of sincerity in an ever-shifting art landscape. The retrospective also presents a large number of works that have never been exhibited before, making it a significant cultural event for both scholars and admirers of Indian modern and contemporary art.
Exhibition Details:
- Title: LIMINAL LINES – 50 Years of Ashok Bhowmick
- Dates: 3rd – 15th October 2025
- Time: 6:00 PM onwards
- Venue: The CCA Gallery, Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi
- Curator: Prof. Rajan Shripad Fulari
- Organised by: Dhoomimal Gallery
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