Photography has long documented history.
Now, it is making history itself.
At Mumbai’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), 25 Indian women photographers have come together for what is being recognised as India’s first major institutional group exhibition dedicated exclusively to Indian women photographers. Titled New Stories: Women in Photography, India, the exhibition is more than a celebration of powerful imagery—it marks an important step towards creating lasting visibility for women within India’s photographic landscape.
Presented by NGMA Mumbai, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the ZiiP Foundation, the exhibition is on view from 15 to 25 August 2026.
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More Than an Exhibition—A Movement for Representation
For decades, Indian women have shaped visual culture through photography, yet opportunities to exhibit collectively within major institutions have remained limited.
New Stories: Women in Photography seeks to change that narrative.
Rather than functioning as a one-off showcase, the initiative has been conceived as a long-term platform that addresses a significant gap in India’s photography ecosystem—creating institutional visibility, professional networks and sustained opportunities for women photographers.
By bringing together practitioners from different generations, regions and artistic approaches, the exhibition reflects the remarkable diversity of contemporary Indian photography.
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From the United Kingdom to India’s Premier Art Institution
The Mumbai exhibition follows the initiative’s successful international debut at Lee Miller’s Farleys House & Gallery in the United Kingdom—a venue deeply associated with one of the twentieth century’s most influential women photographers.
Its journey from an internationally significant photographic institution to NGMA Mumbai, one of India’s foremost national museums, reinforces the initiative’s ambition to position Indian women photographers within a global cultural dialogue.
Opening on India’s 80th Independence Day added further symbolic significance, connecting artistic visibility with broader conversations around representation, opportunity and empowerment.
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An Intergenerational Conversation Through Photography
One of the exhibition’s defining strengths lies in its deliberately intergenerational approach.
Established photographers including Mala Mukerjee and Preeti Bedi are presented alongside emerging voices such as Nilofer Khan and Raajadharshini KK, ensuring that every participating artist receives equal prominence rather than hierarchical recognition.
The result is a richer conversation—one where experience and experimentation coexist within the same institutional space.
For younger photographers, the exhibition offers not only visibility but also inclusion within a broader professional community.
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Photography as a Shared Cultural Archive
Visitors have responded enthusiastically to both the diversity of the exhibited works and the larger vision behind the initiative.
The photographs span multiple visual languages and narratives, reflecting India’s cultural complexity through personal stories, documentary practices, conceptual explorations and contemporary artistic expression.
Collectively, the exhibition argues that meaningful representation requires more than exhibition walls.
It requires institutional commitment, sustained mentorship and international opportunities capable of supporting photographers long after a single exhibition concludes.
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Building an Ecosystem Beyond the Gallery
According to Dr. Niyatee Shinde, Founding Director of the ZiiP Foundation and curator of Women in Photography, the overwhelming response confirms why the initiative was designed as an ongoing programme rather than a standalone exhibition.
Several participating photographers also emphasised that the value of the project extends beyond displaying photographs.
The platform facilitates professional relationships, international visibility and collaborative opportunities that continue well after visitors leave the gallery.
That long-term vision distinguishes Women in Photography from a conventional exhibition.
It is designed to nurture an ecosystem.
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The Beginning of Something Larger
The momentum generated by the inaugural edition has already paved the way for Women in Photography – Edition 2, scheduled for 2027.
The next edition will introduce a new cohort of photographers while continuing to strengthen the growing community established through this landmark first.
Rather than treating this exhibition as an isolated achievement, the ZiiP Foundation intends for it to become a sustained movement that reshapes how Indian women photographers are discovered, exhibited and supported—both nationally and internationally.
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The Mauve Perspective
Photography has always had the power to shift perspectives.
Sometimes, however, the most significant image is not a single photograph but the collective visibility of those behind the camera.
With New Stories: Women in Photography, the ZiiP Foundation and NGMA Mumbai have created more than an exhibition. They have established an institutional milestone that acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of Indian women photographers while laying the foundation for a more inclusive future.
Because changing visual history often begins by changing who gets seen.
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Exhibition Details
Exhibition: New Stories: Women in Photography, India
Presented By: National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, Ministry of Culture, Government of India & ZiiP Foundation
Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
Dates: 15–25 August 2026
Curator: Dr. Niyatee Shinde
Organiser: ZiiP Foundation (Zalor India International Photography Foundation
