India: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art

FEBRUARY 16, 2024 – MAY 12, 2024

Location: Special Exhibition Galleries, Third Floor, North Building
Curated by Dr. Ladan Akbarnia, San Diego Museum of Art
Venue Curators: Kim Spence and Erika Holmquist-Wall

Related Programming
Related Resources

This pair of thematic exhibitions is drawn from The Edwin Binney III Collection, now housed at the San Diego Museum of Art, as one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of South Asian paintings outside of modern-day Pakistan and India. Intended to be encyclopedic in nature, the collection includes paintings made for the Mughal, Deccani, Rajasthani, and Parahi courts. The collection was assembled by Edwin Binney III (1925-1986), an heir to the Crayola fortune, who was also interested in Persian painting, Ottoman and other Islamic art, ballet prints, and theater books.

India: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art is the first exhibition of South Asian art to be hosted by the Speed in its nearly 100-year institutional history. Replete with colorful and exquisitely painted portraits and manuscript illuminations reflecting the rich and diverse artistic traditions of South Asia over four centuries, the two exhibitions promise to dazzle visitors of all ages and backgrounds. This is an extraordinary chance to present a historical overview of South Asian life, culture, and art, and more importantly, will allow us to bring related programming, cinema screenings, and learning opportunities about this rich cultural heritage to the Kentuckiana region.

The Throne, The Chase, and The Heart

The Throne, The Chase, and The Heart introduces Indian rulers and elites through fifty exquisite portraits and paintings of courtly pastimes. Several of the works were intended for courtly albums, while some were executed on a larger scale. In both subject matter and technique, they exhibit the splendor, power, and culture of Islamic and other courts in India during the 16th-19th centuries. They also represent the diverse artistic traditions – Hindu, Persianate, and Islamic – cultivated in the royal kitabkhana, or workshop, which were often disseminated to other courts throughout and beyond South Asia. Works will be presented in three sections: (1) “The Throne;” (2) “The Chase;” and (3) “The Heart,” exploring images of power and authority, the royal hunt, and courtly love.

Elephant in the Room

Elephant in the Room explores the long-revered role of the elephant in South Asian oral and visual traditions, the legacy of which also survives in courtly painting. Inspired by this inherent reverence for the elephant, an appreciation rooted in India’s rich literary traditions and folklore, artists at the courts of Muslim and Hindu rulers produced splendid paintings and studies of elephants, many of which were admired in albums, and others conceived as independent compositions or as designs for transfer to other media. All share a cultural affinity for the simultaneously massive yet graceful, powerful but noble elephant, its majesty captured by the empathetic hand of the artist. The exhibition presents the subject in four sections: (1) “Elephants in Indian Literature;” (2) “Elephants in Action;” (3) “Powerful Processions;” and (4) “Portraits and Preservation.”

Support for this exhibition provided by:
Rose Mary Toebbe Trust
Lopa and Rishabh Mehrotra
Abby and Fairleigh Lussky

Media sponsorship provided by

Press Release

Press for India: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art

The Speed Art Museum hosts its first exhibition of South Asian art – LOU Today, 2.15.024

SNEAK PEEK: Speed Art Museum’s First Indian and South Asian Art Exhibition – LEO Weekly, 2.16.24

San Diego’s South Asian Art Showcase: ‘India: South Asian Painting’ Premieres at Speed Art Museum – Abir Pothi Talking Art, 2.17.24

Kentucky Museum to display South Asian paintings – New India Abroad, 2.18.24

Intricate and ornate South Asian art exhibition invites Louisville to look closely – Louisville Public Media, 2.23.24

New Exhibit at Speed Art Museum Highlights Indian Art & Culture – Great Day Live, WHAS 11, 3.4.24

Speed Art Museum welcomes a new art exhibition focused on India – WDRB News, 3.25.24

RELATED PROGRAMMING

After Hours at the Speed (Opening Night)
Friday, February 16; 5 pm to 10 pm
Celebrate this exhibition at After Hours with music, drinks, and art, including a Gallery Talk with curators Erika Holmquist-Wall, Chief Curator of the Speed Art Museum, and Kim Spence, Senior Director of Collections and Curator of Works on Paper. Stop by Gheens Court for art-making themed around the exhibition. Enjoy an eclectic mix of music with Louisville Silent Disco and a special Bollywood station, a cash bar, and food available by Marigold Catering.
All After Hours through April 2024 will be focused on this exhibition

Member Reception
Saturday, February 17; 10 am to 12 pm
Members of the Speed Art Museum can enjoy a free special reception during the opening weekend of India: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art, including light refreshments and a Gallery Talk with the Curator at 10:30 am.

Teacher Professional Development: “A Sense of Place”
Thursday, March 7; 4:30 – 7:30 pm
Join us as we explore art made for a very specific place and time from the exhibition India: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art. As we respond to the exhibition we will create art defining our own personal sense of place.

Clothed Figure Drawing
Thursday, March 7, 5:30-7:30 pm
Model and theme will surround this exhibition. More information to be announced.

Memories at the Museum
Saturday, March 9, 1:30-3 pm

Adult Workshop – A Punch of Color with Artist Kaviya Ravi
Saturday, March 16, 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Are you a fan of bright, bold colors, and textiles? Join us for an Adult Workshop where you can create your own punch embroidery in this Adult Workshop led by Kaviya Ravi. She is a local artist behind the fabulous photobooth installation in our new special exhibition, India: South Asian Painting from the San Diego Museum of Art. Explore color and material in your own unique embroidery design, then try your hand at tufting during a short demonstration of this viral trend!

Sunday Showcase
The Music Room (Jalsaghar)
Directed by Satyajit Ray
Sunday, March 17, 12:30 pm
With The Music Room, Satyajit Ray brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor Chhabi Biswas) desperately clinging to a fading way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years—now a shadow of its former vivid self.

Sunday Showcase performance: Nataya Kendra Dance Academy
Sunday, March 17, 2 pm
Come and enjoy the mesmerizing Indian Classical Dances and Vibrant Bollywood Dances by Natya Kendra Dance Academy Choreographed by Artistic Director Smitha Pail

Speed Reading Book Club
Saturday, March 23; 11:30 am – 1 pm
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Join us for Speed Reading Book Club, a book discussion inspired by both special exhibitions and artworks in the Speed’s permanent collection! You can find copies of all the Book Club books in the Museum Store.

March Community Day
Sunday, March 24, 1 pm to 4 pm
Join the Speed Art Museum in celebrating Holi Festival – an important and colorful Hindu Festival celebrating Spring. The Speed will be alive with activities for everyone to enjoy. Beautify the sidewalks around the Speed by drawing Rangoli-inspired designs in chalk with The University of Louisville Indian Student Associate. Step inside the museum to experience the first-ever Holi Festival color (paper) throwing, hear Hindu stories, and a variety of traditional Indian Dances! And more! These activities will be free as a part of our Community Day offerings.

Spring Family Day
Friday, April 5, 1 pm to 4 pm
The Museum will be filled with activities for families. Create an elephant hat to wear inspired by the elephants in INDIA: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art. Follow clues and find art in the galleries to collect pieces and build your own puzzle. Design your own landscape in Imagination Playground. And more! These activities will be included in your ticket to the Museum.

An Afternoon Talk at the Speed: Mughal Art
Thursday, April 25^th, 1-2 PM
Did you know that the beautiful art of the Mughal empire has a connection to Genghis Khan, the Mongol ruler of parts of China and Central Asia? During this afternoon talk at the Speed Art Museum, Gray Henry Blakemore, Director of Fons Vitae Publishing and Distribution and recent traveler to Mongolia, will dive into the fascinating history of the Mughal empire, the people, the lineage, and the art. Please join us after the lecture for light refreshments.

Art Sparks Maker Space
Open during Museum hours
Through the month of March