Transforming Legacies: South Asian Story Painting
February 7 — December 12, 2026
South Asia Institute
1925 S. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
South Asia Institute is pleased to announce its new exhibition Transforming Legacies: South Asian Story Painting, on view Feb 7 - Dec 12, 2026. Featuring 36 story paintings from the Hundal Collection, the stories depicted in this exhibition are snapshots of generations of storytelling from South Asia. The works span 14 centuries of stories, including their transformations and evolutions in contemporary South Asian and South Asian American culture and lived experience.
From epics to love stories to modern animation, the works explore diverse narrative traditions originating from South Asia and beyond.
“Through their adaptations of stories such as the Sanskrit epic The Ramayana and Punjabi love story Heer Ranja, artists in this exhibition contend with important tensions between memory and loss, tradition and innovation, what is shared, and what is silenced. In addition to these well-known texts, several works in this exhibition highlight the interest of South Asian artists in Western stories, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between narratives and their artistic interpretation on a global scale.” – Sydney Barofsky, Exhibitions Manager and Curator of Collections
This exhibition features works by Waseem Ahmed, Ustad Allah Bux, Farhat Ali, Khadim Ali, Sultan Ali, Arpana Caur, Abdur Rahman Chughtai, Hira Devi, Maqbool Fida Husain, Kausar Iqbal, George Keyt, Abdul Rahim Nagori, Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, Nilima Sheikh, Shanzay Subzwari, Talha Rathore, and Nahid Raza.
Transforming Legacies: South Asian Story Painting is supported by the Hundal Foundation.
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About South Asia Institute
South Asia Institute cultivates the art and humanities of South Asian Americans in order to preserve the diverse cultural heritage and foster a deeper appreciation of South Asian history. South Asia Institute amplifies South Asian voices through thought provoking exhibitions and creative, artistic programs by emerging and established artists, as well as innovative educational initiatives.
Hours: South Asia Institute is open Thursday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm.
Admission: South Asia Institute has donation-based entry to all exhibitions.
Information: For general inquiries, email info@saichicago.org or call (312) 929-3911
Press contact: Salman Khan, salman@saichicago.org