Contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates

Swagata Bhattacharyya (b.1996, India) received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata (2018), and a Master of Visual Arts in Painting from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara (2020). He has previously received the Inlaks Fine Arts Award in 2020 and participated in a hybrid residency under Khoj International Artists’ Association in 2021. His practice gives visibility to speculative narratives of existing power structures and the multifaceted ways it shapes our world. He works with drawing, photographs, and CGI to create simulated realms and inquires how modes of power shape policies, and influence future environs via architecture, urban design, technology, and manufactured landscapes.

Marcy Chevali (b.1982, United States) is a visual artist with an MFA from the Maine College of Art; she has been based in New York City since 2008. Chevali often incorporates ordinary household materials, including thread, tea, sugar, turmeric, even wrapping cinnamon in paper to create layered juxtapositions which alter common perceptions. She has served on the board of directors for the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective since 2011. 

Dilip Chobisa (b.1978, India) constructs a rendition of the mystery: the idea of the hidden is formed by what is revealed. This is achieved by way of a curtain, a hallway, a beam of light, or a suggestive stairway. He disregards the laws of architecture, yet creates an order of intrigue and curiosity. His drawings are defined by light or the lack of it, suggesting dark silences and pronounced emptiness. He challenges the limits of perception and makes visible the possibility of a space beyond the defined. He also uses photography as a medium to communicate his artistic vision.

Abir Karmakar (b. 1977, India) turns his gaze to the immediate, the quiet interiors of his home, the shifting contours of the city beyond rendering the subtleties of everyday life with patient attention. In monumentalizing the mundane, his work summons a sense of intimacy and solitude, inviting reflection on the poetry of ordinary things. Nightjar, his third solo exhibition at Aicon Contemporary, contemplates the city through the eyes of an outsider, one whose roots lie elsewhere, and whose tongue cannot speak its language.

Najmun Nahar Keya (b. 1980, Bangladesh) grounds her practice in exploring the intricate dialogue between human behavior and society. Her five years in Tokyo, supported by the prestigious Monbukagakusho Japanese government scholarship granted annually to one emerging Bangladeshi artist, proved transformative. Living as an immigrant in a place often resistant to outsiders, she cultivated a quiet ability to unearth beauty, even when it lay hidden beneath the surface. Her work, in turn, absorbed the sensibilities of Japanese art, weaving them into her own language with subtle, nuanced grace.

Sameer Kulavoor (b.1983, India) is a visual artist living and working in Mumbai, India. Having closely witnessed the rapid transformation of urban surroundings and culture in India in the 90s (results of economic liberalisation and the internet boom), Kulavoor’s innate approach is to constantly note and understand the impact that time, culture, politics and socio-economic conditions have on our visible and invisible surroundings.

Seher Naveed’s (b.1984, Pakistan) practice is based on the socio-political development of Karachi and its effects on the way we live. She was awarded a BFA from the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, Karachi in 2007 and an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London in 2009. She is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Fine Art at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, where she teaches experimental drawing and painting.

Maheen Niazi (b. 1991, Pakistan) explores the intersections of religion and culture, and highlights points of fusion where both merge. Culture is seen as ever changing, whereas religion is often thought of as being firm in its code - yet - both flow into one another. She sees society steeped in misperceptions as religion is used to justify cultural practices. 

Giles Pates (b.1992, United States) is a fine artist based in New York City. A lifelong painter, his work explores human connection particularly through communal spaces. At the heart of his work is an ongoing exploration of environments where people gather—neighborhood basketball courts, kitchens, parks, places where human connection thrives. Yet, his paintings do not depict the people within these spaces. Instead, he captures them in still, unoccupied moments, evoking a sense of tranquility while subtly commenting on the disconnection of modern life. 

Misra Pravat (b. 1972, India) completed his Bachelor's degree in painting in 2002 and his Master's in 2004, both from the Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University, Baroda. His art practice examines architectural forms and materials through a fractured lens. He is a member of the Layout collective along with artists Navid Tschopp, Susanta Mondal, and architect S. Boka. Their projects have been exhibited in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, 2012, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, 2013, INSERT, 2014, the Colombo Biennale, 2014, and in non-institutional sites in Delhi and Zurich. He was a recipient of the Pro Helvetia artist residency in Switzerland.

Gigi Scaria (b.1973, India) completed his master’s degree in Painting from Jamia Millia University in New Delhi in 1998. His work draws the viewer’s attention towards the painful truths of migrancy and displacement through his intense investigation of urban topographies, modern city structures, and the intended and unintended consequences of such for the people who live amongst them. Issues of alienation and unsettlement reverberate within the labyrinthine buildings of his canvases and the uncanny structures of his sculptures and installations. 

Abhishek Tuiwala (b.1994, India) demonstrates that at the core of his artistic practice is a profound exploration of identity, the fluidity of time, the nuances of perception, and the intricate social constructs that shape our daily lives. His work bridges the gap between art and life by deconstructing and reassembling familiar elements, inviting fresh perspectives, and challenging ingrained assumptions.