“CANVAS & BRONZE” Art Exhibition by Artist Santosh Kumar Sandilya & Sculptor Ramu Kumar in Nehru Centre Art Gallery

Sacred Waters Meet Sculpted Symbols: ‘Gangajal Artist’ Santosh Kumar Sandilya and Master Sculptor Ramu Kumar Present a Joint Exhibition at Nehru Centre, Mumbai

Inaugurated by Padma Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit, the seven-day showcase from 17 to 23 November 2026 reunites two Banaras Hindu University Fine Arts alumni in a rare dialogue of sacred Gangajal paintings of Varanasi and symbolic modern sculptures from Bihar. MUMBAI, INDIA. November 2026: Acclaimed Varanasi painter Santosh Kumar Sandilya, celebrated across India as the "Gangajal Artist" and renowned Patna-based sculptor Ramu Kumar are proud to jointly present an exclusive art exhibition uniting “Timeless Kashi” sacred riverfront canvases with "World of Symbols," a contemporary sculptural showcase.

Hosted at the prestigious Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai, the exhibition will be inaugurated by eminent ceramic maestro Padma Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit and will remain open to collectors, architects, interior designers, and art lovers from 17 to 23 November 2026. Brought together independently by the two artists, both Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) alumni of the renowned Lalit Kala Department at Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.), Varanasi, the exhibition bridges two elemental Indian artistic traditions: the fluid purity of Maa Ganga’s holy water on canvas and the tactile permanence of terracotta, bronze, and fibreglass shaped from the cultural soil of Bihar. With an artistic journey spanning more than three decades, Santosh Kumar Sandilya (B.F.A. 1998; M.F.A. in Nature Landscape 2000, Banaras Hindu University) has pioneered a deeply devotional practice by blending pure Gangajal—the sacred water of Maa Ganga directly into his pigments and mediums. His canvases capture the timeless ghats, temple spires, ascetic sages, drifting boats, and incandescent evening Ganga Aarti of Varanasi, transforming each work from a visual landscape into a living spiritual artifact that carries the physical essence of the holy river. Featured in over 40 national and international exhibitions, including The Oberoi Art Walk at The Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, the 42nd National Exhibition of Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi, Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal, and the Gwangju International Art Fair in South Korea, his paintings are held in more than 300 national and 38 international collections across over ten countries, including the personal collection of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Also serving as Founder and Director of Sandilya Arts Gallery in Varanasi, and Secretary of the Banaras Art and Craft Development Society, Sandilya brings a curated collection of statement works to Mumbai.

Sculpture: Ramu Kumar

Complementing the fluid luminosity of Sandilya’s canvases is the three-dimensional world of Bihar’s acclaimed sculptor Ramu Kumar, who trained under his father, master sculptor Sitaram Pandit, before earning degrees in sculpture from the College of Fine Arts, Patna, and Banaras Hindu University (M.F.A.), and serving as a lecturer at his Patna alma mater. Twice selected for the 60th and 61st National Exhibitions of the Lalit Kala Akademi, his career includes honours from the Chief Minister of Bihar (1999), the Radha Mohan Bihar Art Award (2018–19), the AIFACS State Exhibition Award, the Braj Kishor Samman (2024), and the Kaumudi Ratna Samman (2025), alongside permanent public commissions at the Gandhi Sculpture Mural in Madurai, Bapu Tower, Gandhi Sangrahalaya, and Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, as well as Motihari and Hajipur. Commended by Padma Shri Shyam Sharma for his mastery across mediums and by Ajit Dubey for his command of symbolic composition, Kumar’s work in terracotta, bronze, and fiberglass traces a profound evolution from classical realism to philosophical modernity. 

Artist: Santosh Kumar Sandilya

Through creative transformation, he strips away literal anatomical details to weave indigenous faith, human curiosity, and philosophical motifs into unified meta-symbols designed to awaken hyper-perception in the viewer. Bridging Eastern spirituality with Western classical craft, his compositions translate the dual pursuit of truth, intellect and meditation, into M. C. Escher-like circular geometry while pairing Donatello and Leonardo da Vinci’s Renaissance sfumato relief depth with raw, unfinished textures reminiscent of Michelangelo and Auguste Rodin to heighten the interplay of light, shadow, and emotion.

From: 17 to 23 November 2026

“CANVAS & BRONZE”

Art Exhibition featuring diverse visuals of Varanasi and thoughtful mental carvings

By

Gangajal Artist Santosh Kumar Sandilya & Sculptor Ramu Kumar

 

VENUE:

Nehru Centre Art Gallery,

AC Gallery, Dr. Annie Besant Road,

Worli, Mumbai - 400018open

From 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

For More Details, Call on +91 87565 88588 / +91 94310 46833