New Delhi [India], September 27 : The Lalit Kala Akademi, National Academy of Art, is organising the 65th National Exhibition of Art (NEA), one of the most prestigious annual exhibitions of contemporary visual art in India. The exhibition provides a national platform for artists to showcase their creative practices and for audiences to engage with the diverse and evolving visual arts of the country.
The 65th National Exhibition of Art has received an overwhelming response from artists across India. The Akademi received 6,175 artworks from 2,495 artists representing 27 States and Union Territories. Following a rigorous selection process, the First-Tier Jury selected 270 artworks for presentation at the exhibition, as per the press release shared by the Ministry of Culture.
The selected works reflect a wide range of artistic practices, materials and techniques, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing and mixed media, among others. The exhibition demonstrates the richness of contemporary Indian artistic expression and the continuing engagement of artists with new materials, ideas and forms.
The Second-Tier Jury, constituted to select the award-winning works, selected 20 artworks by 20 artists for the Lalit Kala Akademi Awards, for their artworks across various categories, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking and other mediums.
The awarded artworks include Chandra Shekhar Sain’s “My Entire World - I” in terracotta under the sculpture category, Gopal Chandra Naskar’s “The Tune of The Srimad Bhagavad Gita” in acrylic on canvas, and Kishor Kumar Narkhadiwala’s “Paryavaran” in oil on canvas under painting, as per the Ministry of Culture.
Other award-winning paintings include Mrinal Dey’s “Hopeless Settlement”, Nidhi Chopra’s ceramic sculpture “Tangible Dreams”, Nimai Singh Sarungbam’s teak wood sculpture “Mudra - I”, and Pankaj Kumar Sharma’s panel work “Haloed Traveler - II” under drawing.
The list also features Pooja Rajpoot’s white marble sculpture “Prakriti Shoshan”, Praveen Kumar’s mixed-medium painting “Where The Walls Remember”, and Pritam Madhukar Deuskar’s etching “Of Time and The City” under printmaking.
Rajendra Prasad’s watercolor wash painting “Sujata With Buddha”, Ramesh Vithal Thorat’s oil on canvas artwork “Untitled - II”, and Raviram Ramakrishnan’s oxidised welded copper sculpture “Fisherwoman” were also among the awarded artworks.
The awardees further include Sanjay Kumar for “When Memories Come Back - 7” (mixed media), Sanjay Kumar Sahani for “Youth” (oil on canvas), and Sanjib Kumar Gogoi for “Aakar Nirankar - II” (acrylic and oil on canvas).
Santa Deb’s ceramic sculpture “Attraction of Simplicity”, Siddharth Shahjirao Shingade’s mixed-media artwork “Trees”, Usharanjan Mandal’s “Wheel of A Crowded City” in other mediums, and Vijendra Sharma’s oil on canvas work “Life 2025” in the Painting category were among the other selected creations.
The artworks were recognised for their contribution to contemporary art across diverse mediums and artistic expressions.
The 65th National Exhibition of Art is not only a platform for artistic recognition but also contributes to the strengthening of India's creative economy. By bringing artists, audiences, collectors, and institutions together, the exhibition creates greater visibility and professional opportunities for artists. The display and sale of artworks also enable artists to receive direct economic benefits, supporting their artistic practice and contributing to a more sustainable ecosystem for the visual arts, as per the press release shared by the Ministry of Culture.
The exhibition further reflects the Lalit Kala Akademi's continuing commitment to encouraging both established and emerging artists, promoting experimentation and providing a national platform for diverse artistic voices. The participation of artists from 27 States and Union Territories reinforces the distinctive national character of the National Exhibition of Art.
The Lalit Kala Akademi congratulated all the awardees and participating artists and acknowledges the valuable contribution of the juries in selecting the works for the 65th National Exhibition of Art.