New Delhi, 5th November, 2025: The Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, proudly presents Museum on the Wheels, a solo exhibition celebrating the artistic genius of Prof. Sukhvir Sanghal (1914–2006), one of India’s pioneering masters of the Bengal School. Curated by his granddaughter Priyam Chandra, the exhibition will be inaugurated on Thursday, 6th November 2025 at 6:00 PM at Gallery 1 & 2, Lalit Kala Akademi, 35 Ferozeshah Road, Mandi House, New Delhi, and will be on view until 12th November 2025, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

The exhibition brings together a rare collection of 45 paintings and tapestries chronicling Prof. Sanghal’s lifelong journey through India’s cultural, spiritual, and emotional landscapes. Highlighted works include his celebrated series River of Life, Phases of Life, Marriage, Arjuna as an Ideal Man, Indian Life, Ramcharit, and Kashmir Landscapes. His tapestries, embroidered on khadi cloth, exemplify extraordinary craftsmanship, while his mastery in wash painting and exploration of watercolour on wood and silk, sculpture, embroidery, and fine art on leather reflect a rich artistic vision grounded in the rasa theory of Indian aesthetics.

Born in Muzaffarnagar on 14th July 1914, Prof. Sanghal was a distinguished artist, educator, and patriot who actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. He trained at the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow, and later served as its Principal until 1973. In 1938, he founded Kala Bharti in Prayagraj, nurturing generations of artists, including notable figures like Indira Gandhi and Vishwanath Pratap Singh. Mentored by A.K. Halder and Abanindranath Tagore, Prof. Sanghal developed an artistic language deeply rooted in Indian tradition and philosophy.

An accomplished writer, he authored Bhartiya Chitrakala Paddhati and Evolution of Art and Artist, volumes that reveal his philosophy and teaching methodology. The first volume of Evolution of Art and Artist was recently launched at the National Book Fair, Lucknow, in September 2025 by Hon. Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Prof. Sanghal’s contributions earned him recognition from the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, Bombay Art Society, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta. His iconic painting Thou Art Dust, to Dust Returnest was acquired by Emperor George V for the Royal Collection, and he designed Indira Gandhi’s wedding invitation in 1942 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s request. He held a major solo exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi in 1992 and continued to teach and paint after retirement.

The exhibition inauguration will be graced by Dr. Sanjeev Kishore Gautam, Director General, National Gallery of Modern Art; Dr. Nand Lal Thakur, Vice Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi; Dr. Alka Pande, Art Historian and Museum Curator; and Mr. Prashant Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court. Mr. Bhushan remarked, “It is a pleasure to revisit this ‘museum’ of my mother’s art teacher, Shri Sukhvir Sanghal, one of the greatest artists of the 20th century and among India’s finest wash painters. His contributions deserve wider recognition.”

Even after his passing on 29th November 2006, Prof. Sanghal’s influence continues to shape Indian art. Retrospectives of his work were organized by the State Lalit Kala Akademi, Uttar Pradesh, in 2022, alongside exhibitions by the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation and Kala Bharti Trust on his birth anniversaries. The Lucknow Nagar Nigam also named a road near his residence Prof. Sukhvir Sanghal Marg in 2022 in honor of his legacy.

Museum on the Wheels is a tribute to Prof. Sanghal’s vision of art as a living expression of India’s cultural and spiritual identity. This traveling exhibition ensures that his artistic legacy continues to inspire new audiences, demonstrating that art transcends walls and moves freely, carrying the soul of a civilization wherever it goes.