Parvathi Nayar’s new exhibition, The Primordial, in Mumbai, traces oceans, pepper and climate change

Opened on March 12, the exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in Mumbai in nearly two decades. Known for her intricate graphite drawings and multidisciplinary practice spanning installation, photography, video, and climate change, her artistic journey has long engaged with the themes of ecology, climate change and the natural world. In this ongoing exhibition, these strands converge through a series of works centred on water, salt, and pepper — materials that carry natural and historic weight across centuries. 

At a time when climate conversations and ecological anxieties dominate the public discourse, Chennai-based artist Parvathi Nayar returns to Mumbai with her new exhibition titled The Primordial. This show at Muziris Contemporary features works that explore the ocean, depicting it not only as a physical space but also as a vital link to our past and future, highlighting its importance as a source of life.  

Opened on March 12, the exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in Mumbai in nearly two decades. Known for her intricate graphite drawings and multidisciplinary practice spanning installation, photography, video, and climate change, her artistic journey has long engaged with the themes of ecology, climate change and the natural world. In this ongoing exhibition, these strands converge through a series of works centred on water, salt, and pepper — materials that carry natural and historic weight across centuries. 

Parvathi Nayar | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“It revolves around the things we think of as primordial — the ocean, water, salt. In many ways, the show is centred around the idea of the ocean, which is something I’ve been working with for a while,” says Parvathi.

For the artist, the ocean is more than just a landscape. It is a connective force that has shaped the movement of ideas, people and commodities across millions of years. “The ocean does not actually keep us apart,” she explains. “It joins us together through our navigation of it. Trade and exploration have all happened over the ocean,” she further adds. 

Trading Places by Parvathi Nayar | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT