Artists as change agents: glimpses from the Avyanna exhibition
In this photo essay, we feature more artworks from the Oorja collective’s exhibition at the Bangalore International Centre.
Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 970 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.
The Bangalore International Centre (BIC) recently hosted an exhibition by art collective Oorja. See our coverage of earlier exhibitions at this popular cultural hub here.
“We serve as agents of change, building bridges across differences and honouring the beauty of diversity” Oorja founder MG Doddamani tells YourStory.
The exhibition was titled Avyanna and raised funds for a cancer care institution while also celebrating International Women’s Day 2026. See our coverage of Oorja exhibitions from 2018 onwards here.
The exhibition featured the works of Bengaluru-based artists Bina Mirchandani, Esha John, Kanthi V, Neelam Malhotra, Nidhi Bhatia, Pushpa Reddy, Shruti Banerji, Ritu Chawla, Urvi Jacob, Vanaja Bal, Vijaylakshmi Bhaskarala, and Viva Motwani.
“The Avyanna exhibition has completed three editions. It began as a small gathering of voices, and has grown into a confident platform that celebrates honesty, diversity and the lived experiences of women artists,” artist-curator Dodammani describes.
A collection of artworks from all the participating artists and the curator was auctioned off, with proceeds donated to the Unnati Foundation. This social transformation initiative of SGBS Trust empowers underprivileged youth with life skills development and vocational training.
Exhibiting artist Bina Mirchandani has had a multifaceted professional career in the fashion industry in senior management positions. She subsequently helped corporates build successful clothing brands as an independent consultant. She is now a ‘Happiness Mentor’ and director at Lucid Design India.
Mirchandani is also a passionate artist, and has showcased her work in several exhibitions. Art is her meditation, and she sees art as a way to promote happiness, peace and personal fulfilment. Her artworks focus on nature, and she invites viewers to pause and notice the silent presence of trees and feel their reverence.
Neelam Malhotra has degrees in education and humanities from Delhi University. She worked for two decades with an NGO to mentor young, underprivileged students. After retirement, she returned to art, poetry and storytelling. The beauty of nature and children hold a special place in her artworks.
Kanthi V has over two decades of dedicated artistic practice in painting and bronze sculpture. Her works are part of private collections in India and overseas.
Some of her artworks explore the essence of horses and roosters, known for their independence, energy, charisma, and cultural symbolism. She blends traditional and contemporary styles, bridging the gap between past and present.
Nidhi Bhatia is a contemporary visual artist who transitioned from a 15-year corporate career in computer engineering to full-time art practice. Trained at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath and through ongoing mentorship, she works across acrylics, charcoal, pastels, and mixed media.
Her art practice explores life and human emotions through layered metaphors. She has exhibited at the India Art Festival in Mumbai and prominent galleries in Bengaluru and Delhi.
Pushpa Reddy is a Bengaluru-based self-taught artist for whom art is a healing space of reflection, resilience and inner growth. She holds a BSc in electronics and diplomas in education, and is also an art teacher.
Reddy’s artworks on divine feminine energy reflect emergence, ascent and wholeness. They embody turbulence, evolution, balance, and quiet strength.
Shruti Banerji transitioned from a corporate career to pursuing her true passion for art. She has over a decade of experience in the financial sector, and has also delved into a range of artistic mediums.
Some of her art series depict everyday objects that inhabit our lives. They evoke a sense of comfort and calm amidst chaos, and are interpreted as not just physical forms but sources of joy and comfort.
“Each artist shares her personal story through her own style and visual language. What connects them is not one common style, but the courage to express something deeply personal,” Doddamani describes.
They represent a wide range of genres and themes. “Perspectives on nature, spirituality, childhood, relationships, local culture, and everyday life appear throughout the works,” he adds.
Vanaja Bal studied economics and worked in the healthcare industry before pursuing art seriously. She later completed an arts degree from Kannada University, Hampi and has exhibited artworks that capture moments of transition.
M Vijaya Lakshmi Bhaskarla has a master’s degree in commerce, and has worked across the arts in oil, acrylic, charcoal, and mixed media. Her artworks have explored meditative imagery and present enlightenment as not just as a final destination but an inner state of experience.
Viva Motwani is a furniture designer and artist based in Bengaluru. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and works on cross-disciplinary art and design. She uses grids and stitched patterns, challenging the boundaries between craft, art and furniture.
Ritu Chawla is a Bengaluru-based hospitality professional who pursues art as a practice of expression and restoration. Her artworks are inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, embracing imperfection and time as integral to beauty.
Some of the themes in her art include the role of doors as symbols of welcome, protection and passage. Door are also thresholds and spaces of continuity, and represent not just divisions or closure.
Urvi Jacob is visual and performance artist, whose work includes storytelling, poetry and theatre. She is a graduate of Mt Holyoke College, Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Her recent artworks depict time as a tangible fourth dimension, and merge the mechanics of clocks with evocative glass objects. Her own personal mantra is Time goes fast, make it last.
Esha John is a graduate of National Institute of Fashion Design, and Co-founder of Terratai Designs. After years in the corporate world, she now actively pursues her artistic journey. Her artworks reflect the lush landscapes of her home state, Kerala and embody the balance between vulnerability and endurance.
As a curator, Doddamani says he is happy to see Avyanna grow stronger in its third year. “I hope Avyanna 2026 is not just an exhibition, but a shared conversation between artists and viewers,” Doddamani says.
“Art has always been a powerful medium for expressing emotions, sparking conversations, and building a compassionate society,” curator Doddamani signs off.
Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
(All photographs taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at BIC.)