Madras Day 2026: How Chennai continues to shape the art of five contemporary artists

Long before Chennai became synonymous with contemporary art, the city was forging a distinct visual language of its own. The Madras Movement of the 1960s, led by KCS Paniker at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, drew on indigenous scripts, folk forms, and abstraction rather than looking westward. Together with the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, it laid the foundations for a movement that would shape generations of artists and leave an enduring imprint on Indian modern and contemporary art. 

That legacy comes into focus once again with Contemporary Now — Edition III, a 20-day citywide exhibition that brings together 66 artists, seven leading galleries, and a programme of exhibitions, conversations, artist walkthroughs, and open houses across Chennai. Against this backdrop, we speak to artists with roots in Madras to understand how the city has shaped their artistic language, practice and ways of seeing the world.