In February 2026, the quiet halls of the Annexe Gallery at the India International Centre witnessed a deeply moving artistic moment. Zikr, a solo exhibition by contemporary Indian artist Shikha Sheoran, unfolded from 10th to 17th February as an intimate tribute to human stories often overlooked.
Presented by IIC, the exhibition opened with a thoughtful walkthrough that invited viewers not merely to observe, but to pause and listen. Over the following week, visitors stepped into a world rendered entirely in graphite pencil and charcoal, understated yet powerful in its emotional resonance.
Shikha’s works did not rely on spectacle. Instead, they rested on the human face etched with precision, layered with feeling. Farmers, rural workers, women, and children emerged from textured charcoal shadows and delicate pencil strokes, their expressions carrying dignity, resilience, and quiet strength.
Her practice, rooted in contemporary social realism, transforms portraiture into documentation. Inspired by her travels, community interactions, NGO engagements, and a deep interest in human psychology, she approaches each face as a narrative space. The result is art that feels both personal and collective stories seen daily, yet rarely heard.
A Milestone Moment
Over the past three years, Shikha has participated in more than 25 group exhibitions across India, steadily building recognition for her emotionally immersive realism. Yet Zikr marked a defining chapter in her first major solo exhibition and a confident assertion of her voice within India’s contemporary art landscape.
Her journey began in 2022, following time spent with the Brokpa community in Ladakh, where she began to see portraiture as a form of cultural memory. Since then, much of her work has grown from close interactions with women and children in underserved communities, reflecting lives that exist beyond mainstream narratives.
By the time the exhibition concluded on 17th February, Zikr had left behind more than admiration. It left a reflection. In its quiet graphite lines and charcoal depths, the show reaffirmed the enduring power of realism and the simple, profound truth that every face carries a story worth remembering.
