The Royal Academy's latest exhibition, A Story of South Asian Art, falls woefully short of its promise. At the heart of this lacklustre display lies the towering sculpture Pakshi by Mrinalini Mukherjee, a work that is, by turns, hilarious and fascinating. Standing at over six feet tall, the red and brown creature with demonic features towers above its neighbours, drawing attention away from its less impressive companions.
Despite being surrounded by an incoherent show featuring mediocre works by lesser artists, Pakshi shines brightly like a beacon of surrealism and international artistry. Mukherjee's unique blend of modern India's history, surrealism, dreams, and fantastical images creates an enchanting cocktail of birds, flowers, gods, and monsters infused with desire and dread.
The Royal Academy tries to suffocate Mukherjee's exhilarating works by inundating the gallery with watercolours by her "circle" that clog up the space like slow-moving traffic. This forced politeness prevents viewers from fully absorbing the essence of Mukherjee's art, which is both internationally renowned and profoundly rooted in Indian culture.
Despite its limitations, the exhibition still manages to showcase some of Mukherjee's most remarkable works, including Night Bloom II, a ceramic masterpiece that embodies contradictions - spiritually calm yet sensually violent. Her art transcends local boundaries and remains as meaningful now as it was during her lifetime, making it accessible to everyone.
The only thing more disappointing than the exhibition itself is the Royal Academy's decision to muddy Mukherjee's waters with second-rate surroundings. As soon as you see Mukherjee's sculptures from the 1980s onwards, you want to see more of them, not less of the mediocre works that clutter the gallery. It seems the academy knows exactly how much better Mukherjee is than her family and friends, but unfortunately, it also knows how to let that shine.
Overall, A Story of South Asian Art falls short of its promise due to its inability to truly showcase Mrinalini Mukherjee's exceptional works.
Despite being surrounded by an incoherent show featuring mediocre works by lesser artists, Pakshi shines brightly like a beacon of surrealism and international artistry. Mukherjee's unique blend of modern India's history, surrealism, dreams, and fantastical images creates an enchanting cocktail of birds, flowers, gods, and monsters infused with desire and dread.
The Royal Academy tries to suffocate Mukherjee's exhilarating works by inundating the gallery with watercolours by her "circle" that clog up the space like slow-moving traffic. This forced politeness prevents viewers from fully absorbing the essence of Mukherjee's art, which is both internationally renowned and profoundly rooted in Indian culture.
Despite its limitations, the exhibition still manages to showcase some of Mukherjee's most remarkable works, including Night Bloom II, a ceramic masterpiece that embodies contradictions - spiritually calm yet sensually violent. Her art transcends local boundaries and remains as meaningful now as it was during her lifetime, making it accessible to everyone.
The only thing more disappointing than the exhibition itself is the Royal Academy's decision to muddy Mukherjee's waters with second-rate surroundings. As soon as you see Mukherjee's sculptures from the 1980s onwards, you want to see more of them, not less of the mediocre works that clutter the gallery. It seems the academy knows exactly how much better Mukherjee is than her family and friends, but unfortunately, it also knows how to let that shine.
Overall, A Story of South Asian Art falls short of its promise due to its inability to truly showcase Mrinalini Mukherjee's exceptional works.
... I mean, what was up with all those watercolours flooding the space? It felt like they were trying to drown out Pakshi 
, the only real gem in the whole show. That sculpture is absolutely insane! 
The way it combines modern India's history and surrealism is just genius. But honestly, I'd have loved to spend more time gazing at that thing without all the other mediocre art getting in the way 
. And can we please just acknowledge that Mrinalini Mukherjee's family and friends aren't exactly pushing her artistic boundaries? 
It felt like they were trying to tone her down for the sake of the exhibition, which is a shame because she deserves so much more credit for her incredible work 
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. I went to see this show and was totally distracted by that one sculpture, Pakshi – it's so unique and surreal! But all around it, it's just a bunch of mediocre art pieces that feel like an afterthought 
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. It's just not fair, you know? The artist is international superstar material and they're basically treating her like a local girl next door 
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... ended up feeling kinda meh about it 
. Meanwhile, Mrinalini Mukherjee's sculptures are, like, whoa 
. Can't help but wish she had more space to shine though. They really need to rethink their layout next time 
Can't believe they wasted an opportunity to showcase her full range. It's like they're trying to hide a gem or something... 
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. I mean, why can't they just let Mukherjee's art shine for once? She's got this amazing energy and depth that's just missing from the rest of the show.
. And yeah, her art transcends borders and cultures - it's got that special something that makes you feel seen and understood.
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Does that make sense?
why do they have to dilute the good stuff? night bloom ii is giving me life, and mukherjee's art is so rooted in indian culture but it's still accessible to everyone. i guess the only thing more disappointing than the exhibition itself is how they're trying to bring down her family and friends 
. By forcing her more experimental pieces into a sea of watercolors by lesser artists, they're essentially diluting her impact and preventing viewers from truly immersing themselves in her art.
, it's like they're trying to dilute her genius. And can we talk about how the Royal Academy is wasting such an amazing artist? I mean, they should be showcasing more of her masterpieces, not hiding them behind mediocre works 
. Still, I think fans of Mukherjee will get a kick out of seeing some of her iconic pieces up close, and who knows, maybe it'll inspire some new art lovers to dive in 
. I mean, Pakshi is literally a masterpiece - that sculpture takes over the room and just draws you in! But then they go and surround it with all these other artists who just can't hold a candle to Mukherjee...it's like trying to compare apples and oranges 
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and instead they just try to blend in w/ the crowd. newsflash: mrinalini's art is NOT average ppl. its like she's speakin a different language or somethin 
. Mukherjee's art is amazing on its own terms – it's surreal, fantastical, and totally rooted in Indian culture 
. Overall, I'd give this exhibition 2 out of 5 stars 
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