Portraits in Time: Power, Presence, and Identity Across Centuries

Portraits in Time: Power, Presence, and Identity Across Centuries, a forthcoming exhibition curated by Sonali Batra, opening at LTC, Bikaner House, New Delhi on 8th April 2026.

Bringing together fifty works spanning centuries and geographies, the exhibition creates a cross-continental, cross-century conversation on portraiture. Tracing the evolution of the human face as a site of expression, power, and memory, Portraits in Time approaches portraiture not as a fixed genre but as an evolving inquiry into identity and visibility.

Installed chronologically, the exhibition unfolds as a visual journey through time—from early European academic realism to modernist expression and contemporary reinterpretations of the human image. Through this trajectory, the exhibition explores how portraiture has shifted from formal representation to a space for psychological depth and conceptual reflection.

The exhibition features works by leading Indian and international artists including Krishen Khanna, Anjolie Ela Menon, Hemen Mazumdar, Jamini Prakash Gangooly, F. N. Souza, Abalal Rahiman, M. F. Pithawalla, K. R. Ravi Varma, Rabin Mondal, Shobha Broota, Tom Vattakuzhy, Terry Turrell, Kaori Someya, Pavel Bulva, Francesca Schiffrin and several others, presenting a rare opportunity to experience portraiture across diverse artistic traditions and historical moments.

Exhibition Details

Title: Portraits in Time: Power, Presence, and Identity Across Centuries
Curator: Sonali Batra
Venue: LTC, Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi
Exhibition Dates: 9th-15th April 2026
Timings: Monday to Sunday, 11 AM – 7 PM