Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle at the Royal Academy review: 'collapses hierarchies'

A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle at the RA - (RA)

London has already welcomed one blockbuster exhibition of Indian art this year, courtesy of the British Museum, which even inspired the theme of its inaugural ball. Wealthy investors from India are truly having a huge impact on the art scene here, and now the Royal Academy is training a more contemporary lens on work from the subcontinent. A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle, curated by Tarini Malik, brings together works from India’s 20th-century modernist movement with great effect.

Mukherjee herself was a sculptor born in Mumbai in 1949, with a career spanning four decades (she died in 2015) and who was best known for her towering works in hemp and clay. Malik has chosen to place these pieces in the round, encircled by works from the artists who Mukherjee surrounded herself with at various schools. This is a fascinating experience which rewards your attention to all the artists.