Lucknow: Lucknow, long recognised for its rich and vibrant artistic legacy, continues to make a strong mark on national and international art platforms. Carrying forward this tradition, works by five artists from the city have been selected for display at a prestigious international exhibition in Kolkata, highlighting the strength of Lucknow’s contemporary printmaking scene.
Providing details, Bhupendra Kumar Asthana said that selected printmaking works by artists from Lucknow are being showcased at the Third Print Biennale, organised by the National Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. The biennale is being held this year at the Regional Centre of Lalit Kala Akademi in Kolkata and features participation from artists across the globe.
The international exhibition includes selected print works from artists representing India, Poland, Japan, Australia, Portugal, Luxembourg, France, Turkey, Sri Lanka, England, Argentina, Lithuania, Canada, Korea, Greece, Bulgaria, Sweden, the Philippines, the United States, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Mauritius, China, Malaysia, Russia, Nepal, Slovakia, Kosovo and Taiwan, among others.
Representing Lucknow at this esteemed platform are Kiran Singh Rathore, Dheeraj Yadav, Ravi Agrahari, Ranju Kumari, and Mahesh Vishwakarma. Their inclusion reflects the evolving artistic sensibilities and experimental approaches emerging from the city.
Artist Dheeraj Yadav explained that his work explores layered human emotions. His print, titled “Mysterious Lines – II,” created using serigraphy and embossed etching techniques, depicts multiple faces representing external expressions and deeper, introspective emotional layers through enigmatic lines.
Ranju Kumari, originally from Jammu and Kashmir, shared that her artistic practice draws from personal experiences, emotional spaces, and feminine forms. Currently working as a printmaking artist at Lalit Kala Akademi’s Lucknow Regional Centre, she views nature as a key reference in her creative process.
Mahesh Vishwakarma noted that his serigraphy-based work is rooted in lived realities, material memory, and labour experiences shaped by his upbringing in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Ravi Agrahari’s etching “City of Heritage” visually documents Lucknow’s historical and cultural landmarks, while senior artist Kiran Singh Rathore’s work from the “Shiva Series” reflects the concept of Shiva–Shakti as a symbol of universal creative energy.
The Third Print Biennale was inaugurated on January 14, 2026, in the presence of Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and senior officials of Lalit Kala Akademi. Out of 1,449 entries received, 204 outstanding works were selected. The exhibition will remain open to the public until February 15, 2026, at the Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, Kolkata.
