INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD

ABSTRACT: The landscape of contemporary Indian painting exists at a fascinating crossroads between inherited cultural legacies and the demands of a rapidly globalizing art world. This paper investigates how emerging and institutional painters navigate this duality. Rather than discarding traditional Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and regional aesthetics, these artists actively recontextualize them on the modern canvas. To circumvent the saturated academic discourse surrounding globally renowned figures, this study deliberately shifts its focus toward regional practitioners and university fine arts departments, with a specific lens on North India. It examines the pedagogical balancing act of nurturing classical, skill-based painting techniques while meeting the conceptual expectations of the 21st-century gallery space. By analyzing modern shifts in material application—such as the resurgence of indigenous pigments and sustainable mediums—alongside the use of ancient motifs to articulate modern socio-ecological anxieties, this research illustrates how today’s painters function as vital bridges between historical identity and contemporary expression. Ultimately, this paper argues that the true resilience and innovation of Indian painting are thriving not just in the global commercial circuit, but within localized, academic, and regional studio spaces.