Shobha Broota

With a career spanning over six decades, Shobha Broota (b. 1943) has carved a distinctive space within modern Indian art. Her practice reflects a gradual evolution—from early figuration to a deeply abstract visual language—always grounded in spiritual enquiry, where form, colour and texture evoke the essence of the world. From early portraits and printmaking to large canvases and later textile-based experiments, Broota’s work reveals a lifelong journey of artistic growth and inner reflection.

This retrospective brings together key phases of the artist’s practice, tracing her evolution from the figurative to the metaphysical—across mediums such as pencil, pastel, oil, acrylic and thread. Borne of deep internal discipline, Shobha’s work reflects a spirit of exploration and a restlessness to evolve—even as her canvases moved towards meditative stillness. A trained classical vocalist and sitarist, the rigour of her musical training echoes in the rhythm of her compositions: deceptively simple yet demanding complex execution. Her meticulous technique of flicking paint without letting the brush touch the surface—seeking softness—subtly embodies her personality. The simplicity of her persona finds resonance in the quiet strength of her minimalistic work, which draw viewers into a contemplative state.

While some interpret her work through the lens of neo-tantric aesthetics, Broota resists all labels. At the centre of her practice lies the dot—bindu—a symbol of origin, stillness and infinite possibility. Her works neither demand nor prescribe meaning but invite reflection— a journey within, where the cosmos is mirrored in the self.

Shobha Broota: Painting Infinity offers a glimpse into a practice marked by solitude, discipline and profound spiritual alignment, where each work becomes an act of painting the infinite.