The New India Express, 2025
From Singapore to India, Kumari Nahappan’s art finds its way back home
Some artists speak in a language all their own. For Singaporean Kumari Nahappan, that language begins with nature—seeds, fruits, and spices. A chilli or a cardamom pod, reimagined, becomes a vessel of migration, belonging, and memory that spans painting, sculpture, and installation.
After decades of exhibiting across the world—from the Venice and Singapore Biennales to galleries in Tokyo, Singapore, and China—Nahappan says her latest show, ‘Chromatic Currents’ at Pristine Contemporary, Delhi, feels like a homecoming. Her works have been made available to an Indian audience with the support from the Singapore Embassy in India.
“The showcase is both a reflection on my journey and a renewal of creative roots,” she says.
“This homecoming completes a profound circle. These pieces have travelled across the world, absorbing diverse influences, and now it feels like the artworks have come back to speak in their native tongue.”