City art gallery presents ‘Convergences: A Shared Ground — Lineages, Practices, Futures’

The Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) opened the 7th edition of its annual symposium, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, with the launch of an evocative exhibition titled ‘Convergences: A Shared Ground -Lineages, Practices, Futures’, presented by Emami Art in collaboration with KCC. Broadly conceptualised around critical ideas and practices from the eastern and north-eastern regions of India, the exhibition explores the deep connections between culture, ecology, and community. It brings together a wide range of artistic, craft-based, and architectural practices that emerge from centuries-old traditions while engaging with contemporary concerns. Through dialogues between materials, methods, and meanings, ‘Convergences’ foregrounds practices that value repair, reuse, and renewal — celebrating not just what is whole or new, but also what has been mended, reimagined, and carried forward.

The exhibition underscores how creativity in these regions is inherently linked to the land, ritual, and lived experience, revealing a cosmological understanding of making as a way of being. The show features an eclectic group of artists and collectives, including Anshu Kumari; ARTISANS’ Sustainable Development Foundation X Leshemi Origins; Dulair Devi, Malo Devi, Putli Ganju, Rudhan Devi, Sajhwa Devi (supported by the Sanskriti Museum & Art Gallery, Hazaribagh); Ruma Choudhury, Silpinwita Das, Simi Deka, Ujjal Dey, and Ujjal Sinha.

Speaking about the initiative, Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art and Chairperson of KCC, said, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is one of the most anticipated events on the KCC calendar.

The 7th edition brings an exciting exhibition with an eclectic line-up of artists and artisans. ‘Convergences: A Shared Ground — Lineages, Practices, Futures’ offers a critical exploration of diverse artistic and artisanal traditions from Eastern and North-eastern India, initiating dialogues between heritage and contemporary expression.

It seeks to illuminate shared heritage and evolving trajectories of creative practice within these regions, fostering meaningful dialogue on continuity, innovation, and collective cultural identity.” Curator Ushmita Sahu, Director and Head Curator of Emami Art, added, "Convergences’ brings together contemporary voices working across disciplines to reflect on these shared cultural terrains. The exhibition engages with key tropes of making that reveal how practices evolve while remaining rooted in inherited knowledge systems.

In the eastern and north-eastern regions, culture is not separate from everyday life — it is lived, practiced, and transmitted through routine acts, material knowledge, and collective memory.” With its layered curatorial approach, ‘Convergences: A Shared Ground — Lineages, Practices, Futures’ invites viewers to experience the resilience and continuity of artistic practices that bridge the past and the present — mapping a shared creative future.