Fwd: Avatar: Forms of Vishnu at AGNSW

[Chaitanya Sambrani]

Dear AN4AA Community,

It is a great pleasure to share details of a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales that Melanie Eastburn and I have co-curated. Avatar: Forms of Vishnu opened to public on 20 June and closes 5 October 2026. The exhibition features nearly 200 works of art produced across 15 centuries in locations ranging across South and Southeast Asia. The oldest work dates from the 6th century, while the most recent was completed last week. Works by nine contemporary artists are included: Gitanjali Das, Kalyan Joshi, Jumaadi, Desmond Lazaro, Nalini Malani, Pushpamala N, Kalam Patua,  Sumakshi Singh and Satyanarayan Suthar. The exhibition draws from the collections of the National Museum Phnom Penh, National Museum New Delhi, CSMVS Museum Mumbai, Museum of Art and Photography Bangalore, Museum Rietberg Zurich, British Museum London and the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, in addition to AGNSW, AGSA, NGA, NGV and QAGOMA. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a book that Melanie and I have co-edited. In addition to our own essays, the book contains new scholarship on the art history, iconography and mythology of Vishnu from Seang Sokha, Neeraja Poddar, Carol Cains, Caroline Widmer and Johanna Bear.

Please do have a look if you are in or visiting Sydney.

Kind regards,

Chaitanya