India’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and the Museum of Sacred Art (MOSA) presented a new exhibit entitled “Shakti: Fair & Fierce” in New Dehli, which celebrates feminine creativity and empowerment ahead of the upcoming International Day of Women on March 8, 2024. NGMA is one of the premier art institutions in India. Established in 1954, the gallery is located at Jaipur House near India Gate. MOSA is an international visual arts initiative dedicated to supporting art and artists from India as well as art and artists from the ISKCON community. It has branches in Belgium, Italy, and Spain.

The 100-plus works at the exhibit were created by 55 female artists and curated by Sushma K. Bahl in collaboration with Meghna Vyas Arora. According to NGMA, the exhibition is “a blend of mythology and narratives, features remarkable work by a select group of women artists. There are paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and installations besides animation, digital, video, and pop art as well as embroideries among works in other media with a focus on issues and dreams that concern women and their life experiences.”

The event welcomed more than 20 ambassadors from around the world. Meenakshi Lekhi, the Minister of State for Culture and Foreign Affairs, said that the exhibit “pays homage to India’s artistic landscape and symbolizes the enduring power of women’s strength, creativity, and the beauty that arises in their creative expressions,” she continued, “The diverse artworks highlight various significant embroidery traditions from different regions of India, including Rabari from Kutch, Chamba Rumal from Himalchal Pradesh, Kantha from West Bengal, Sujini and Khatwa from Bihar, and Pashmina from Kashmir.”

Mahaprabhu Das, the Director of MOSA, was on hand for the opening of this noteworthy collaboration. MOSA contributed most of the 100 works in the exhibit from its collections, including paintings, video installations, sculptures, and embroideries. “I am awed by the creative ‘energy’ emerging from this selection of women artists of India. The variety and intensity of their artistic expressions show the vibrancy of the Indian contemporary art scene as well as the enduring traditional art forms,” said Mahaprabhu Das, “In this case, some amazing embroidery work. Of course, this is a symbolic representation as the number of women contemporary artists and traditional artists is in the millions.”

The exhibition will run from February 4th to March 31, 2024.  To learn more about MOSA and other upcoming exhibits or initiatives, visit their website. A video of the event can be watched here.