IGNCA to Host Dr Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Lecture and Inaugurate Textile Exhibition from Her Collection
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Kala Nidhi Division, will organise the Dr Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Lecture, titled “Aatmbodh se Vishvabodh”, (From Self-Realisation to Universal Awareness”) on 29th December 2025 at 4:00 pm at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA. The memorial lecture will be delivered by Dr Bhagyesh Jha, IAS (Retd.), Chairman, Gujarat Sahitya Academy. The session will be chaired by Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, President, IGNCA Trust. Dr Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, will deliver the welcome address, while Prof. (Dr) Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dean (Administration) and Head, Kala Nidhi Division, will introduce the programme.
Prior to the memorial lecture, an exhibition titled ‘Abhivyakti – Expressions of the Loom from the Vault of a Visionary’ will be inaugurated at 3:30 pm at the Darshanam I & II Galleries, IGNCA. Drawn from the Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan Collection, the exhibition presents a rare and nuanced view of her personal textile holdings. The exhibition explores how textiles, accumulated over a lifetime, embody memory, cultural continuity, and lived experience, reflecting Dr Kapila Vatsyayan’s expansive understanding of India’s material and intellectual traditions.
The exhibition will remain open to the public from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm until 7th January 2026. It will be organised by the Kala Nidhi Division in association with the Conservation Division, IGNCA.
Commenting on the exhibition, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, stated that ‘Abhivyakti’ is not merely a display of textiles but a coherent curatorial articulation that brings together research, sensitivity, and vision. He noted that its sense of completeness reflects Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan’s lifelong conviction that the arts must be understood within their cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical frameworks.
Adding to this, Prof. (Dr) Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dean, IGNCA, observed that textiles have been integral to human civilisation, carrying cultural, social, and economic narratives. He remarked that India’s textile traditions form a living archive of its civilisational ethos, and ‘Abhivyakti’ foregrounds this richness while honouring Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan’s perspective on material culture as a critical lens for understanding India’s pluralistic traditions.
Highlighting the conservation aspect, Prof. Achal Pandya, Head, Conservation Division, IGNCA, emphasised the importance of preserving textile heritage, particularly when it is associated with a scholar of Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan’s stature.
The exhibition features over 50 textiles representing more than 50 distinct craft traditions from across India. It is curated by Ms. Sareekah Agarwaal, textile archivist and researcher.
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Sunil Kumar Tiwari
pibculture@gmail.com