EkChitra Opens Expansive New Art Gallery in Hyderabad

EkChitra Art Gallery has opened its new and expansive space in Hyderabad, adding a larger platform for exhibitions, multidisciplinary art and cultural activities in the city.

The launch was attended by art connoisseur and collector Anju Poddar, writer and director Deva Katta, Rao Bahadurfame director Venkatesh Maha, art director and Chief Principal Temple Architect of Yadadri Temple Anand Sai, senior artists BA Reddy and Shankar Pamarthy, along with members of Hyderabad’s art fraternity.

Founded by artist and curator Annapurna Madipadiga, the new EkChitra has been designed to host larger exhibitions and a wider range of artistic practices. The flexible space can accommodate painting, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, installations, photography, mixed media, performances and interdisciplinary projects.

The larger footprint allows artists to present their work without being restricted by the limitations of a conventional gallery space. EkChitra plans to work with both emerging and established artists across traditional and contemporary practices.

A major feature of the new gallery is its permanent printmaking studio. The facility will support printmaking programmes, workshops, experimentation and opportunities for artists to explore the medium.

The new space also marks EkChitra’s growth from a curatorial platform into a permanent cultural venue. Apart from exhibitions, the gallery plans to host artist interactions, workshops, performances, screenings, educational programmes and public conversations. Residencies and knowledge-sharing programmes are also being explored.

Venkatesh Maha congratulated Annapurna Madipadiga on the new space and described it as a “beautiful habitat for artistes.” He recalled visiting interactive art spaces during his travels across Europe and said he was happy to see a similar multidisciplinary space being created in Hyderabad.

“I look forward to being an active part of the activities planned here in the future,” he said.

Deva Katta, who is an art lover, said he hoped EkChitra would become a landmark for art and creativity and build a strong community of artists and art lovers.

Annapurna Madipadiga said EkChitra had grown organically through exhibitions, collaborations and conversations with artists and audiences.

“As the vision expanded, we felt the need for a space that could accommodate not only larger exhibitions but also conversations, workshops, performances, educational programmes and new forms of engagement with art,” she said.

The gallery also plans to take its programmes beyond its physical space. Initiatives such as Living Temple – Edition 2, Keerthanam and Baoli Art Sangam are being developed as part of its larger cultural vision.

Living Temple – Edition 2 will continue EkChitra’s exploration of heritage spaces as living cultural environments, bringing together art, architecture, traditional expression, community and public engagement.

Keerthanam is being planned as a major initiative focusing on the history of art in the Telugu states, with an emphasis on the region’s artistic traditions and cultural narratives.

Meanwhile, Baoli Art Sangam aims to connect contemporary art with Hyderabad’s heritage landscape. Envisioned as an art biennale centred on historic stepwells, the initiative will explore site-specific artworks, exhibitions, performances, workshops, heritage walks, talks and community programmes, while also highlighting water, architecture, ecology and conservation.

Opening Exhibition: Transition

The new gallery has opened with Transition: A Continuity to Change — An Ode to Identities in Flux, featuring young artists from across India.

The exhibition brings together works in textiles, sculpture, painting, ceramics and printmaking. It explores how artistic practices evolve while remaining connected to cultural memory and inherited traditions.

The participating artists examine themes of identity, tradition, transformation and contemporary life through different materials and artistic practices. The exhibition also reflects the vision of the new EkChitra space, where different disciplines can come together within a single curatorial framework.

EkChitra’s work has a strong connection with the artistic and cultural histories of the Telugu states, including architecture, literature, music, crafts, temple traditions, Deccani influences and folk practices. The gallery aims to present these traditions not as static forms, but as living knowledge that can engage with contemporary artistic thinking.

With its larger exhibition areas, permanent printmaking studio and multidisciplinary programme, the new EkChitra aims to become more than a gallery in Hyderabad. It seeks to create a space where artists can work and present their ideas at a larger scale, different disciplines can interact, and audiences can experience art through exhibitions, learning and participation.