Sharan Delhivala to Hold Solo Art Show in Ahmedabad
Sharan Delhivala’s Ahmedabad Exhibition Runs September 28 to October 2 at Jodhpur Art Gallery.
Ahmedabad-based artist Sharan Delhivala will present his solo exhibition, The Five-Core x The Infinite Macrocosm, at Jodhpur Art Gallery from September 28 to October 2, with an exclusive preview scheduled for September 27. The exhibition is being held with support from the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Akademi.
For Delhivala, the exhibition adds another chapter to a creative career that has included painting, photography, dance and other forms of performance. Public records describe him as an artist from Ahmedabad whose work has appeared in national and international exhibitions. His paintings were selected for the Deep Down Art exhibition in Mérida, Mexico, a group exhibition featuring artists with Down syndrome.
Delhivala also gained wider public attention in 2022 when he was named Mr India with Down Syndrome. The event, held in Raipur, was organised by the Down Syndrome Federation of India and Happiness is Khushi. At the time, Delhivala was 21 and was reported as an artist, photographer and karate practitioner.
His work has continued to sit at the meeting point of art and disability inclusion. Atypical Advantage, an organisation that connects people with disabilities to work opportunities, lists Delhivala among visual artists from Ahmedabad. Another art platform records that he is trained in drawing and painting, studies photography and holds a Brown Senior Belt in Karate.
The new collection is built around five themes named Vajra, Prana, Sankalpa, Tejas and Ananta. The exhibition material describes these as five central pillars through which Delhivala explores his understanding of the inner world and the larger universe.
Delhivala’s interests extend well beyond painting. He is also described as a rhythm drummer, keyboardist, photographer, dancer and karate practitioner. His photography has received attention as well. In 2024, his photograph Serene Serenity A Monk’s Joy was shortlisted in the Down’s Syndrome Association Photography Competition.
The exhibition also places emphasis on the artist receiving the proceeds from his work. According to the exhibition information, 100 per cent of the money from artworks sold will go directly to Delhivala, without intermediary or gallery commissions.
The wider discussion around such work is linked to a growing focus in India on participation by people with disabilities in creative and economic life. Government programmes under the Viksit Bharat framework have also included disability-focused measures, including the proposed Divyang Kaushal Yojana and discussions on early support for children with disabilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government have repeatedly placed young people at the centre of the Viksit Bharat 2047 programme. The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, for example, has brought young Indians into discussions on entrepreneurship, culture, innovation and national development.
Against this background, Delhivala’s Ahmedabad exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to view his work on its own artistic terms while also considering the place of artists with disabilities in India’s cultural life.
EVENT DETAILS
Special Preview: Sunday, September 27 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Exhibition Dates: September 28 – October 2 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Jodhpur Art Gallery