At 80, Artist Shailaja S. Kamat Fulfils A Long-Held Dream With Solo Show At Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

At 80, artist Shailaja S. Kamat fulfils a long-held dream with her solo exhibition at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery, from September 7–13. Having exhibited across India and Dubai, Kamat’s cityscapes capture India’s transformation—from serene villages and places of worship to industrial landscapes and sprawling cities. Drawing on eight decades of change, her works explore not just buildings, but people, struggles and lives, reflecting the broader journey from rural traditions to rapid urbanisation.

Excerpts from the interview:

Which cities inspired you the most and why?

As an artist, I keep my eye on different modern cities like Mumbai, Pune and others, where I can observe modern architectural constructions and try to implement new and innovative structures in my paintings. I also like smaller cities such as Nashik, Banaras and Haridwar, especially the holy places, where I find inspiration in the different types of temple designs, sculptures and ancient monuments. Places like Hampi in Karnataka also inspire me in different ways for my cityscape work.

Which villages inspired you the most and why?

The villages along the coastal side of Karnataka and the Konkan region, as well as places like Belgaum, inspire me. Some of these places are still like rural villages and are not very developed. I find inspiration in the simple architectural construction of the houses, the brick walls, wells and the compounds around them. These give me many ideas to explore in my paintings in modern as well as abstract ways. I also enjoy creating different shapes in houses and making them more innovative.

What disturbed you about the changing India?

I am an Indian citizen and proud to be an Indian and a Hindu. At my age, I have seen many different changes across generations and over several decades. But, from my point of view, these changes have not always been satisfactory. As I see our cities changing, with modern buildings and constructions replacing many of the older spaces, I also feel that the closeness and unity among people is slowly diminishing. Earlier, people seemed to have more time for one another, shared a stronger sense of community and were more willing to help each other. Today, life has become faster and people have become more self-centred. I feel that the human values that form the basis of life like unity, friendship, culture among people of different religions, a helping nature and love for our country are gradually disappearing. Through my cityscapes, I also observe and reflect on these changes around me. Somehow, I wish to see those golden days come back and hope to see more harmony, peace and togetherness in our country in the future.

Why have you used hues of one colour in most of your works?

For me, as an artist, all colours are good, but I tend to use some colours more often because they help me express certain feelings and emotions in a painting. I have used a lot of blue, pink and yellow in my works. I use different colours to show the time of day and weather changes on the buildings and structures… for example, pinkish and reddish shades for sunset, blue shades for night and yellow shades for morning. I do not always decide beforehand which colours will look good in a particular painting. Painting is such an unpredictable process that I often decide on the colours on the spot as my work progresses. So, it is not fixed that these are my favourite colours or that I use only these colours for a particular type of painting but yes in the current exhibition set, I have used some hues more.

What: Shailaja S. Kamat’s Exhibition Beyond the Shapes
When: 7th September to 13th September, 2026
Where: Gallery 4 of Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai
Timings: Daily 11 am to 7 pm.