Art is something truly unique and not everyone is blessed with such creativity. Sunayana Malhotra is one such name who is known for her distinctive art and creative brilliance. Born and raised in Central Delhi, Sunayana belongs from a family of engineers, doctors, and professionals. She believes, “Art is more than a visual delight—it’s a soul’s language, and only few are truly gifted to speak it fluently.” Sunayana Malhotra is one of those rare artists whose work stands out where her each canvas is unique voice in contemporary Indian art stirring something deep within the viewer.
Being the youngest of three siblings she was always encouraged to express herself in the arts. Sunayana was gently nudged towards exploring the world through colours, textures, and rhythm. Her artistic soul found expression early on through classical music, singing, and painting.
Her school years at Modern School, Barakhamba Road were followed by afternoons spent immersed in Hindustani Classical music, easel painting, and charcoal life studies. She pursued her love for the arts further at Triveni Kala Sangam and the Sri Ram Centre, absorbing inspiration from the creative energies that pulsed through spaces like the Kamani Auditorium and the Lalit Kala Akademi. These places became more than just institutions—they became sacred spaces where her imagination learned to breathe.
Global Art by Delhi’s Own Sunayana Malhotra
Poetry was also one such passion of Sunayana while she graduated in English Honours from Indraprastha College, but by 2005, painting took center stage in her life. She began creating with intense focus and emotion, and her first solo exhibition at the Ashoka Hotel Art Lounge marked a powerful debut. With 25 paintings on display, she captured hearts and sparked conversations — and this was only the beginning.
Since then, her work has been exhibited across prestigious galleries in India and abroad—from Delhi’s Habitat Centre, Triveni Kala Sangam, and Lalit Kala Akademi to galleries in Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, the UAE, New Zealand, and the United States. Her paintings now reside in private collections across the world, and her collaborations with leading interior designers have added soul to numerous homes and offices across Delhi and the NCR.
But what makes her work so Unique?
She shares, “My work is a spontaneous overflow, I work with paintbrushes and palette knives, I like the figure to be visible, yet hidden behind layers of paints. A lot of the surface is scratched off and then repainted on canvas.”
Deeply influenced by ancient Indian art—seen in caves, temples, and palaces—her work reflects the Indian heritage. She adds, “I am deeply influenced by ancient Indian art found in caves, temples and palaces reflecting the rich heritage of my country. Lotuses are in my sub conscious mind they fascinate me with their symbolic beauty and mythological significance.”
From Delhi to the World
Sunayana’s exhibitions have spanned across years, she began her work in 2007 with a solo show at Ashoka Art Lounge, followed by group and solo exhibitions across New Delhi in 2008–2010, including Taj Palace, Visual Art Gallery, and Triveni Kala Sangam. In 2011–2012, she showed her artistic work at Lalit Kala Akademi, presented “Beneath the Skin,” where Sunayana addresses these issues of self and makes a strong case and posits a fresh interpretation of beauty.
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Through her strong and expressive artworks, she highlights how delicate the beauty is. She also participated in United Art Fair. Her 2013 solo at Kingdom of Dreams marked another milestone. In 2016 with a solo at India Habitat Centre. From 2017–2018, her work reached Switzerland, Antwerp, Luxembourg, Vienna, and back to Gurgaon. In 2019, she held a solo show at Plexus Gallery, Montreux, deepening her global footprint.
Feminine Expression Through Art
Her paintings go beyond traditional beauty standards — they speak of real emotions, inner strength, and the evolving identity of women. Her work reflects a deeply personal and feminist perspective, one that values both vulnerability and power. Rather than presenting idealized images, Sunayana captures the beauty of imperfection.
Her use of rich colours—like passionate reds, calming blues, and earthy browns—brings life to her subjects, showing different layers of feminine experience. Some works show bold, confident figures, while others express silence, reflection, or the quiet battles every woman faces.
Her art doesn’t follow loud slogans, but it gently questions: What does it mean to be a woman today? Can we find strength in softness, and beauty in change?
Sunayana’s work offers something rare. Her art resonates with Shringar — one of the nine Rasas in Indian aesthetic theory — which stands for beauty, romantic love, and attraction. Sunayana a self-taught artist who has carved her own space in a competitive, often male-dominated field, Sunayana’s work is not only just inspiring — it’s empowering. She is a reminder that art doesn’t need to scream to be heard. Sometimes, a quiet, deliberate stroke on a canvas can say more than a thousand words.
