Born in 1981 in New Delhi, Chetnaa completed her Master’s degree in Painting from the College of Art in New Delhi. Her geometric abstractions are drawn largely from the landscape and architecture of her city: keen observations of the metropolis translated into an eloquent schematic of lines and markers. Initiated as symmetrical arrangements, Chetnaa’s work reveals the need to deconstruct the order she once sought, so as to build a new geometric logic that feeds her minimalist aesthetic.
Chetnaa recently presented a solo show titled Sabr | صبر, curated by Srinivas Aditya Mopidevi at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai. She also showcased a solo exhibition, Here I Am, with Silvia’s Mother Gallery in London, United Kingdom (2024). Her focus booth, Sacred Square: 101 Meditations on Paper, was part of the India Art Fair 2022 with Anupa Mehta Contemporary Arts. She has held four solo exhibitions, including a special online and physical presentation P = 4L, {Deconstructing Square Space}, and has participated in several group exhibitions across India and internationally.
Recent group exhibitions include Material as Metaphor – A Dialogue of Art Forms, curated by Sayantan Maitra Boka at NGMA, Kolkata; On Paper Of Paper, curated by Ankon Mitra at the India Design Fair (2024); Squaring the Circle at Artshila, Shantiniketan (2023); Inner Life of Things: Around Anatomies & Armatures at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Uttar Pradesh (2022); State of Mind: Between Dysphoria & Hope, curated by Sayali Mundye at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2021); Abstract Notations, curated by Jesal Thacker at Gallery Espace, New Delhi (2020); All is Not Lost 20:20:20, curated by Saloni Doshi at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2020); A Walk Across Grids with Akara Art, Mumbai (2020); Imprint: After, curated by Sitara Chowfla for the Pulp Society, New Delhi (2020); Artist-in-Residence at the India Art Fair (2020); Breaking Ground, 1st Indian Ceramic Triennale, JKK, Jaipur (2018); Everything Is Black & White at Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi (2018); and Condition Reports, curated by Ranjit Hoskote at Art District XIII, New Delhi (2017).
The artist has received the AIFACS All India Drawing Award; Emerging Artist of the Year by Glenfiddich; the Best College Art Award; and a Special Mention Award from SCZCC, Nagpur
My practice revolves around the quiet tension between precision and intuition, working primarily with paper and ink to explore the meditative potential of line, form, and space. Through techniques like plotting, dotting, drawing, stitching, foiling, and puncturing, I investigate the movement of a point—sometimes linear, sometimes converging—always grounded in a search for balance. I aim to create harmony between positive and negative space, allowing structure to speak in place of overt emotion.
In recent years, my focus has been on the geometry of the square—its containment, repetition, and gradual dissolution. This inquiry has led to countless permutations and visual systems, forming the basis for both my two-dimensional works and my three-dimensional explorations in metal. These sculptural works draw from the logic of paper—layering, folding, and cutwork—yet extend into space with the language of architecture and shadow.
At its core, my work distills the essence of the urban environment into a minimal vocabulary. Rooted in observations of my city, it translates the rhythm of everyday structures into silent grids and quiet geometries—offering viewers a moment of stillness within the complexity of contemporary life.
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