A FOREST OF MANY SUNS

RETROSPECTIVE OF KG SUBRAMANYAN, ARTHSHILA, NEW DELHI

CLIENT

Arthshila, New Delhi

DOMAIN

Archives and Art Gallery

SCOPE OF WORK

Exhibition Design, Information Design, Event Identity, Environmental Graphics, Promotional Design.

December collaborated with the Seagull Foundation and Arthshila Delhi to design the KG Subramanyan centenary retrospective. The exhibition brought together the visual and ideological essence of his works through presentation of his art and social perspectives. The exhibition was designed to present his artistic journey of 70 years as a spatial timeline where the viewers physically discover every decade of his work and perspective as they move from one gallery to another, one floor to another, getting a sense of the times, his exploration of techniques, media and materials- an opportunity to present an ideology that resonates with that of our studio.

Creating a visual setting to KG Subramanyan’s artistic legacy was a challenge, as defining a particular style from decades of work was not possible. The inspiration came from the highly textural and tactile nature of his work across various media. They characterise both the essence and environment of the subject matter. It has been our attempt to bring these colours and textures to the forefront and create a backdrop and visual character that represents a continuous element in a body of work spread over 70 years.For an artist whose visual language was a symphony of folklore, modernism, and subversion, it was only fitting that colour itself became the spine of ‘A Forest of Many Suns’.

Rather than relegating colour to a decorative afterthought, we positioned it as the exhibition’s binding agent—bold and omnipresent. As visitors moved through the space, they found themselves enveloped in tones lifted directly from Subramanyan’s canvases. The hues did not merely complement the works; they engaged in quiet dialogue with them, setting the stage for a seamless interplay between paintings, sketches, and the colour palette extended beyond the walls, informing typography, display structures, and even wayfinding. The retrospective an experience in colour itself—an invitation to step inside the world of KG Subramanyan, where each colour tells a story.

Sprawled across the wall, the timeline was a living archive of Subramanyan’s creativity with striking compositions mapping his journey—from the formative years in Shantiniketan and the charged experiments of Baroda to the larger-than-life public murals that defined his later years. Rather than functioning as a mere informational tool, the graphic narrative wove into the very fabric of the exhibition, its shifting palette and typographic treatments echoing the artist’s own approach to image-making.

But beyond its visual impact, the timeline played a crucial spatial role. The exhibition unfolded across multiple floors, each one dedicated to a distinct phase of Subramanyan’s practice. The graphic wall, in turn, became the binding thread—visitors followed its flow as they ascended, physically moving through time. The effect was subtle yet striking: the viewer was no longer a passive observer but an active participant, stepping through history, feeling the shifts in scale, media, and ideology as they progressed.