Abhay Sehgal is 27 and having that late-20s epiphany we all know too well: suddenly your roots start feeling heavy, complicated, and kind of beautiful. His new show, Roots & Rebellion at Bikaner House, is basically that realization, but in paint.
The works are big, loud, and maximalist. Patterns that used to belong underfoot (literally, on carpets) are pulled up onto the walls. It’s not subtle. It’s also not supposed to be. He’s asking out loud, Why am I the way I am? and then answering himself with strokes that swing between nostalgia and defiance.
You see flashes of history, cultural pride, late-night self-talk. It’s patriotic without the chest-thumping, and intimate without being soft. Imagine a monologue under a bare bulb in a small room.. that’s the mood.
What makes it hit is the messiness. The rebellion isn’t against tradition, exactly, but against letting tradition stay quiet. These paintings are personal essays disguised as carpets, and they don’t care if they overwhelm you a little.
The takeaway? Roots & Rebellion feels like watching someone figure themselves out in real time. And if you’re in your late 20s/30s/and maybe 40s, you’ll probably see yourself in the chaos.
All images courtesy: Abhay Sehgal