The Elemental You at KNMA explores humanity’s profound connection with Earth through the evocative works of Simryn Gill, Neha Choksi, and Hajra Waheed, weaving ecological, personal, and geological narratives into a contemplative, immersive experience.
Neha Choksi, Release imperfect from every pore (Detail), 2023-2024, Limestone dust in kiln cast glass, limestone, From Porous Earth series, Collection: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) presents The Elemental You, a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the works of Simryn Gill, Neha Choksi, and Hajra Waheed. Curated by Akansha Rastogi, this exhibition inaugurates a series dedicated to South Asian diaspora artists and offers an intricate exploration of the element “Earth.” Through the lens of geology, culture, and materiality, the exhibition establishes a profound connection between humanity and the natural world.
Kiran Nadar, Founder and Chairperson of KNMA, captures the exhibition’s essence:
“We are thrilled to present this timely exhibition that speaks to degrading environmental conditions and the history of the earth. Rooted in the museum collection, it expands outward with seminal works on loan. The exhibition learns from and showcases the inspiring practices of Simryn Gill, Neha Choksi, and Hajra Waheed. Together, we hope to open discussions around their work, writings, impulses, and visions.”
The Vision Behind The Elemental You
Curator Akansha Rastogi describes the exhibition as both a personal and professional milestone. “I’m in awe of the three artists—Hajra Waheed, Simryn Gill, and Neha Choksi,” she says. “Their lifelong projects and long-term commitments have occupied my imagination for years, influencing me in strange ways I can barely articulate. Curatorially, weaving their practices together has been immensely satisfying and challenging.”
Rastogi explains that the exhibition’s core lies in the idea of care, though the artists themselves do not explicitly frame their works in these terms. “Care is not a term that any one of the three artists use,” she notes, “but I see it so strongly and resiliently present in their oeuvres. In the context of human relationships with the natural world, and the ecological and planetary upheavals that all natural cycles are undergoing, their ideas come closer and feel so urgently important together.”
The exhibition also reflects KNMA’s commitment to South Asian diaspora artists. While the broader framework of showcasing such artists is central to KNMA’s vision, Rastogi emphasizes that the themes and focus of The Elemental You are rooted entirely in the practices of the selected artists. “As a curator working with the KNMA collection for 15 years, it was important for me to initiate this framework and reading,” she explains. “The collection already housed significant works by Simryn Gill and Neha Choksi, and now, through this exhibition, Hajra Waheed’s works have been brought into the fold.”
