The 9th Sahayog Contemporary Art Exhibition opened at the Cymroza Art Gallery, Breach Candy, Mumbai, marking yet another meaningful chapter in the exhibition’s long journey of blending art with social purpose. Curated by noted artist Satyendra Rane and co-curated by 16-year-old Aaliya Thakker, the exhibition brings together diverse artistic voices from across the country, with new and established artists ranging in age from 16 to 78 participating side by side. The show was inaugurated by celebrated cartoonist and illustrator Prabhakar Wairkar, in the presence of Varsha Karale - Chairperson of Arts Society of India, and all the participating artists.
The inauguration saw artists, patrons, friends and well-wishers from all quarters come together in a lively, colourful atmosphere that reflected the spirit of ‘Sahayog’ - collaboration. While Satyendra Rane continues to champion the platform as a space where emerging and established artists meet, this edition stood out for the strong presence and thoughtful contribution of Aaliya Thakker. At just 16, Aaliya not only showcased her artistic sensibility but also brought clarity of purpose to the curation, helping steer the exhibition towards supporting education and development initiatives for tribal communities through Alert Citizen Forum. Her role symbolised the evolving voice of a younger generation that sees art as both expression and responsibility.
The participating artists include Aaliya Thakkar, Anupama Mandavkar, Bharti Dhawale, Deepa Hekre, Firoz Inamdar, Kamal Ahmed, Mukund Ketkar, Madhumita Basu, Nandita Desai, Nitin Kulkarni, Prashant Jadhav, Prashant Prabhu, Pehel Birawat, Raynah Hazari, Rhea Nadar, Ranjan Patel, Revathi Shivakumar, Sneha Nikam, Satyendra Rane, Smita Rane, Shrikant Kadam, Simran Sehgal, Suhas Manjarekar, Vibha Sharma, Satish Tayde, Shailaja Kamat, Shiresh R. Karrale, Sujata Mohidekar, Sub Lieutenant Parth C. Mahajan and Zakir Hussain Tanha.
Featuring over 70 artworks by 30 artists, the exhibition spans painting, sculpture and photography, and will be on view at Cymroza Art Gallery until 20th December, from 11 am to 7 pm.