Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.

Drawn from the personal collection of Kenneth X. and Joyce Robbins, Up Close: Spatial Relations in Indian Paintings explores how artists across India used space, color, material, and media to convey the power of their subjects. Spanning the early seventeenth through the mid-twentieth century, the exhibition brings together scenes from religious epics and courtly poetry alongside depictions of political triumph and personal devotion, including works making their public debut.

Created for royal albums, religious festivals, performances, and domestic settings, these works illuminate the many contexts in which painting flourished across South Asia. From intricate visions of cosmological wonder to experiments with figure and perspective under British colonial rule, the exhibition traces artists’ evolving approaches to visual storytelling. Together, the works invite viewers into richly layered worlds while highlighting pivotal moments in the history of South Asian art.

An in-person exhibition preview and reception will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. The event is presented in collaboration with The Clarice’s NextNOW Fest 2026. 

This exhibition is organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery and guest curated by Pujan Gandhi, with faculty advisory contributions from UMD President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Divya Kumar-Dumas. Design and installation were led by Preparator Korey Richardson, with operational support from Business Manager Jonathan Ogbazghi. Additional contributions were made by Curatorial Assistants Haojian Cheng and Filippo Grassi.

About the Guest Curator

Pujan Gandhi is an independent curator who bridges historic and contemporary art through a transnational perspective. From 2018 to 2024, he oversaw the South and Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic art collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There, he led the first comprehensive reinstallation of the department’s galleries, spearheaded major acquisitions in Mughal and Pahari painting, ritual Himalayan art, and Indonesian textiles, and organized contemporary installations by Dayanita Singh, Zarina Hashmi, and Monir Farmanfarmaian.

Having organized numerous international exhibitions, Gandhi has published on topics ranging from Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Indian travel albums to twenty-first-century museum display strategies. He also edited the multi-author monograph Anish Kapoor: Reverie & Rupture. He previously served as a visiting curator in the African Art Department at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, worked as a private art advisor, and guest lectured at SOAS University of London, where he cataloged at the British Museum while completing his MA and Postgraduate Diploma in the History of Art and Archaeology. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is a graduate of The Lovett School and holds a BA from Middlebury College.

Major exhibition support is provided by the Dorothy and Nicholas Orem Exhibition Fund. Generous support is also provided by the Maryland State Arts Council. This exhibition is presented in association with the College of Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative.