Gallery FPH: 'When Light Touches' By Dr Zirak Marker & Nikhil Purohit Is A Meditative Journey Between Chaos, Calm And Care

At this year’s last edition of Gallery FPH in Mumbai, colour, texture, and silence come together to tell stories that words often cannot. ‘When Light Touches,’ a new exhibition by psychiatrist and artist Dr Zirak Marker, invites viewers into a world where painting becomes an act of reflection rather than escape. On view from December 16 to December 30, the show gently explores vulnerability, resilience, and the quiet spaces where healing begins.

Inside 'When Light Touches' exhibition

Curated through a thoughtful walkthrough by art historian Nikhil Purohit, the exhibition presents Marker's abstract landscapes as emotional reflections rather than literal places. The vivid painting shows skies dissolve into water, horizons blur, and boats drift, mirroring the fragile balance between chaos and calm. “These artworks are more cathartic,” Marker reflects. “As mental health professionals, we absorb so much emotional weight. Through art, I found a way to release that inner restlessness, especially during COVID, when everything felt trapped.”

Marker's journey into the art world

A self-taught artist, Marker’s journey into painting started during the pandemic, when the relentless emotional labour of caregiving demanded its own outlet. Working largely with palette knives rather than brushes, he builds texture and sensation into his canvases. "For me, art is mindfulness," he shares. "When I paint, there’s no phone, no interruptions. It’s just me and the canvas. Afterward, I feel relaxed—restful in a way nothing else gives me."

His visual language has evolved over time. Early works leaned darker, highlighting the heaviness of that period, while newer paintings carry softer hues and a sense of quiet resolve. “There’s always a dialogue between peace and chaos,” Marker notes, a tension that gives the works their emotional pull.

'The paintings offer calmness, stability, and a sense of release'

Art historian Nikhil Purohit sees the exhibition as a journey through multiple mental landscapes. "These are not single-view landscapes," he explains. “They move between land, sky and water, offering a cathartic experience rather than a narrative. Historically, the subdued palettes and diffused light echo older European traditions, yet the works remain deeply contemporary in their emotional honesty.” For Purohit, the takeaway is clear: “The paintings offer calmness, stability, and a sense of release, something we all crave.”

Adding another layer of reflection, Priyasri Patodia, art gallerist and facilitator of this exhibition, highlights the profound link between psychiatry and art. "Artists and psychiatrists share a deep relationship with the subconscious," she observes. "The more layered a person’s inner life, the more depth emerges in their work. In Zirak’s paintings, you feel that archaeology of the mind—potent, lived, and emotionally rich."

Must-have experience awaits

Titled after Marker’s own poem, When Light Touches embraces the idea that illumination does not erase pain; it gives it form and context. As his verse suggests, light warms, lingers, and finds its way through cracks, allowing hope to surface gently rather than forcefully.

Beyond its emotional resonance, the exhibition also carries a social purpose. Presented in collaboration with the Museum & Contemporary Art Committee and Animal Welfare Committee of RCB, 50% of all sales will support Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), YODA, and paediatric cancer treatment initiatives, under the leadership of RCB President Bimal Mehta and The Rotary Club.

So, When Light Touches invites viewers to pause, breathe, and carry a sense of calm beyond the gallery walls.

Exhibition details:

When: December 16 to December 30, 2025 | 10 AM–7 PM (Sunday open)

Where: Gallery FPH, Free Press House, Nariman Point, Mumbai

Published on: Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 07:15 PM IST