65th National Exhibition of Art Honours 20 Award-Winning Artists

The 65th National Exhibition of Art, organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, was held in New Delhi, with Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as Chief Guest. He felicitated 20 award-winning artists for their contribution to Indian visual arts.

Who was present

Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Shri K.K. Mishra, Joint Secretary (Akademies), and Shri Rajeev Kumar, Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi, attended. Three Padma Shri awardees were also on the dais: the photographer Shri Sudhakar Olwe, the sand artist Shri Sudarshan Patnaik and Shri Ashok Kumar Vishwas.

How artists were chosen

The Akademi's Secretary said this edition drew more than 6,000 entries, from which 270 artists were selected through a two-tier jury process. A two-tier jury screens work in two rounds, which keeps a national exhibition of this size manageable while giving lesser known artists a route in.

Art from waste

The Minister and other guests viewed works made from discarded material during the 'Seva Hi Sanskriti' workshops held at various centres of the Akademi. These workshops were organised to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Shekhawat said the initiative shows how creativity and the spirit of service can meet, and praised the Akademi's 'Waste to Wonder' effort, which turns thrown away material into art and links art with sustainability.

A monograph released

A monograph on the modern Indian painter Abdul Aziz Raiba, edited by Shri Ram Gopal Khadilkar, was released at the function. Raiba was known for bold lines, vibrant colours and a distinctive blending of Indian traditional and modern styles.

Where and until when

The Secretary, Ministry of Culture, said the exhibition at Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi, has been extended until 31 October 2026, and invited the public to view it. After the programme the guests visited the show at the Lalit Kala Gallery.

Points to remember

The Lalit Kala Akademi is India's national academy of fine arts and one of the three national akademies under the Ministry of Culture. For an examination, the edition number, the organiser, the number of entries and selected artists, the venue and the closing date are the facts most likely to be asked.