A portmanteau of the words house and museum, ‘houseum’ in Ahmedabad is a collection of locks, clocks and puzzles lovingly curated by Dr. Hiren Shah, and creatively displayed by his wife Dr. Namita Shah. Houseum as it stands today, has on display a splendid collection of 10,000 plus rare antiques as well as contemporary artworks by artists like Amit Ambalal, M. F. Hussain, and S. H. Raza.

Arvind Sundar, a painter and printmaker from Coimbatore, studied art at the School of Art Institute of Chicago in 2016 and later pursued a Masters in Painting & Drawing (MFA) from University of Cincinnati, USA in 2018. Having exhibited his work in over 50 shows across the globe, Arvind Sundar is one of the most promising artists on the contemporary Indian art scene. An affinity for maths and geometry defines his art; and in his latest show COSMOS, we see him shift from painting to sculpture – exploring the same spiritual and physical connectedness to mathematical/geometrical systems in the third dimension.

IT-professional turned calligraphy artist Rupali Thombare shares the story of her spectacular dot paintings. Inspired by her mentor – the renowned master calligrapher Achyut Palav – Rupali started exploring a shape that attracted her since childhood – the dot. Thombare's work, revolving around the dot, is all about nurturing our inner self, our “soul” – underlining the firm belief that each one of us can realize our full potential by embracing challenges and relying on our inner power.

With a Diploma in Fine Arts & Modelling from Karnataka Chithra Kala Parishad, Dr. M. S. Murthy was conferred an honorary Doctorate from the Kannada University, Hampi. He won the International Biennial Award from the Iran Academy of Arts in 2003 and Karnataka Sahithya Academy Award in 2006, while the Government of Karnataka bestowed him with the Rajyotsava Award in 2010, and with Lifetime achievement Award, in 2017. Featured here is a series of paintings on Mahatma Gandhi – a brilliant depiction of the life and times of the Father of the Nation.

Growing up in Gujarat, and particularly in Baroda, has contributed greatly to my personal creative journey. Elders with connections in the fields of literature and arts of course helped trigger my creative quest; but I would still give more credit to the city we were in – the cultural epicenter of the state of Gujarat. My first visit to the Fine Arts faculty of M. S. University was a life-changer. I remember being enamored by the students painting in the studios. I loved the space and light in the art gallery and the artists’ work on display. The wall art and massive wooden sculptures strewn around the campus fascinated my young mind. I met many stalwart artists (Pingale, Dhumal, Khakhar) through my father and grandfather; but back then I was too young to grasp their stature in the world of art.