Jitish Kallat is one of India’s most intellectually compelling contemporary artists, known for combining the vastness of the cosmos with the texture of history. His interdisciplinary works—ranging from sculpture and installation to drawing and photography—invite viewers to step into time as both a philosophical and material substance.

Artistic Philosophy

Kallat’s artistic vision is shaped by a desire to understand the universe not just scientifically, but spiritually. He approaches the past with both reverence and inquiry, turning historical texts, letters, and rituals into vehicles for reflection on the human condition across time and space.

Signature Work

In Covering Letter, a haunting projection of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1939 letter to Hitler becomes a flickering portal between diplomacy and devastation. In Epicycles and Rain Studies, planetary motion and weather data become meditative visual rhythms—proof that science and poetry can speak the same language.

Process

His practice blends research, repetition, and ritual. Kallat often works with found texts, scientific data, and archival material—reimagining them into visual constellations. The result is an art that doesn’t just depict time, but lives inside it.

Why Her Work Matters

Jitish Kallat reminds us that the arc of the universe isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, political, and deeply human. By fusing cosmic scale with cultural memory, he challenges us to think about our place in both the stars and the stories we inherit.