Interview By: Chahat Sharma
Marking the centenary of one of India’s foremost modernists, Shape of a Thought: Letters from Ram Kumar brings together an intimate selection of his writings and paintings. The exhibition explores Ram Kumar not just as an artist, but as a thinker, writer, and observer of life. Through his correspondence, reflections, and abstraction, the curatorial vision seeks to unravel the deeply personal layers of his practice while inviting viewers into a space of pause and contemplation. In this conversation, the curator- Priya Chauhan share the ideas and inspirations that shaped the exhibition, offering insights into how the written word and visual language come together in a rare dialogue.
This exhibition weaves together Ram Kumar’s letters and paintings. What was your curatorial thought process in deciding how the written word and visual abstraction should interact in the space?
Priya: Marking his centenary, it felt important to go beyond the collective idea of the “modernist” and look at Ram Kumar in his individuality. To celebrate him fully, we wove together his many voices – painter, writer, thinker – to reveal the depth that made him unique.
Ram Kumar’s later works are famously untitled. How did this openness to interpretation influence the way you chose to display and sequence the works?
Priya: The untitled works opened space for visitors to encounter abstraction without inhibition. Supported by Ram Kumar’s own words on abstraction, they invited viewers to form personal connections, free from the burden of meaning intended by the artist. It also lent to the sections more poetically; complementing the idea and aim of an individualistic and resonating exhibition we wanted to bring forth.
Ram Kumar – The Artist
The press release describes the show as an invitation to “linger and reflect.” How did you translate that sentiment into the actual spatial and sensory experience of the gallery?
Priya: Excerpts from his letters, etched in his handwriting on acrylic sheets illuminated by a Lightbox, create moments of pause alongside his art. A letter-writing station with books by and on him extended this reflection – and visitors have already begun responding with letters of their own.
Ram Kumar’s themes of loneliness, alienation, and existentialism can be emotionally heavy. How did you strike a balance between an accessible and engaging visitor experience?
Priya: We left the exhibition open-ended – visitors can take away what resonates with them, whether emotion, meaning, or pure visual experience – keeping the engagement personal and light despite the depth of themes.
As a curator, how do you envision the role of abstraction in fostering emotional connections for audiences unfamiliar with Ram Kumar’s work?
Priya: As Ram Kumar said, abstraction “unburdens” art of fixed meaning. That openness lets audiences see more than what is shown, finding their own reflections in a space that is at once cerebral and visual.
In your view, what does this exhibition add to the broader discourse on Indian modernism?
Priya: While modernism has been widely studied, there are still pockets to uncover. This exhibition peels back layers by bringing Ram Kumar’s writing to the fore, reminding us that Indian modernism was as much about thought and language as it was about form.
You had access to a series of intimate letters by Ram Kumar. How did you approach reading them not just as archival documents, but as deeply personal reflections?
Priya: Beyond his artworks and fiction – into the inner world of Ram Kumar. They weren’t critical reflections but personal musings on friendships, cities, and connections, revealing what preoccupied him beyond the public gaze.
MAP Bangalore
The letters are addressed to a friend. How did this personal tone shape the way you selected and contextualized them for the exhibition?
Priya: Their intimacy shaped the curatorial flow – excerpts from these letters became anchors for different sections, guiding visitors through Ram’s world. They helped humanize him, offering connections to facets of his life and allowing people to maneuver across the exhibition with reflection and pause.
What was the most surprising or revealing insight you discovered about Ram Kumar through his correspondence?
Priya: His letters revealed a deeply observant thinker, equally gifted with brush and pen. While his writing was emotionally layered and detailed, his art distilled those complexities into abstraction – showing abstraction not only as a style, but as a way of thinking.
Ram Kumar’s artistic journey took him from economics and literature to Parisian art schools. How did his early life and travels influence the narrative arc of the exhibition?
Priya: Self admittedly, writing remained his first love, and that introspection carried into his artistic path. The exhibition unfolds across four sections – Knowing, Thinking, Connection, and Hope – culminating in his own words: “So be careful so that time may not cheat you, which is possible if one is conscious about it and know it. One should not be caught unaware.” A reminder as relevant today as it was then.
Beyond his paintings, what do the letters tell us about Ram Kumar’s views on art, life, and the world around him?
Priya: They reveal him as a deeply introspective person, constantly reflecting on life, connections, art, and writing. This sensibility ran through everything he created – whether with words or with paint.
Were there any particular phrases or passages from the letters that stayed with you and influenced your curatorial decisions?
Priya: “I hope you have some time for yourself” became the final section of the exhibition – a call to pause and reflect. He wrote of time slipping away, “How so many years passed away without any reminder or warning,” and of alienation even at his own shows: “It gives me a creepy sort of feeling full of vacuum and loneliness and futility.” There was nostalgia for Varanasi – “to get liberated of its labyrinths and bindings which I have been feeling since my first visit to this blessed city in 1961” – and moments of brooding: “To-day being a very quiet, hot day, I feel like going back to the labyrinths of my past and peep into the dark corners which are almost like graves now.” Yet he could also be playful, writing, “Do write or phone – but don’t phone. Writing is better.”
If you could describe Ram Kumar’s personality in three words based on your research, what would they be and why?
Priya: Introverted, introspective, expressive—he turned inward to observe, reflected deeply on life, alienation, expression and society, yet found strikingly eloquent ways to articulate it.
Priya Chauhan – Curator of the show
Shape of a Thought: Letters from Ram Kumar redefines how we remember and engage with the artist. By weaving his paintings with his words, the exhibition presents Ram Kumar as more than a modernist icon, it reveals him as a deeply human figure, contemplative and expressive, whose abstraction continues to resonate with audiences today. The curatorial approach reminds us that art is not only about form but also about thought, language, and emotion, and in Ram Kumar’s centennial year, it opens a space for both memory and discovery.
