Here's Your Guide To The Best Art Galleries In The City

Hidden in one of the by-lanes of Nungambakkam, Apparao Galleries is one of the most well-known galleries, not just in the city but around the country as well. Initially called The Gallery, this art space was launched in 1984 and is pioneered by Sharan Apparao. From contemporary artists to budding painters, everyone gets a chance to showcase their work at this pace. The art collectors throng this place during a new exhibition as they get some of the best and rare art pieces from this gallery. Besides exhibitions, they have workshops for art lovers too. 

With the spotlight on Indian culture and heritage, DakshinaChitra on East Coast Road is one of the top places on our list. Founded in 2005, this place has many art shows all through the year, with emphasis being given to regional artists. Their photography exhibitions are one of their highlights, but they also host folk and performing art programs during festive seasons along with interesting workshops for pottery and terracotta toy making. 

Paintings, photography, art installations, cartoon art, ceramics, you name it, Forum Art Gallery has done it all. But what sets them apart is the fact that they have also had several musicians and dancers perform alongside curated exhibitions. Started by Shalini Biswajit and Biswajit Balasubramanian, the gallery was launched in 1997. Their art symposiums, workshops, poetry reading and storytelling sessions are not-to-be-missed events. They also host art workshops for children. 

Get transformed into the creative world as you step into the Cholamandal Artists' Village. Located in ECR, this village is the brainchild of painter KCS Paniker. Dig into its history and you will know that the 10 acres of land the gallery now occupies, was just an uninhabited stretch of sand in the 50s. It was the artists who built the houses, studio and the gallery itself. You can find a lot of beautifully handcrafted art here along with contributions from artists of the 'Madras Movement'. 

Get lost in the world of paintings at Focus Art Gallery. They have paintings in different medium and one of their hit exhibitions was the Threads of Compassion which had artwork done by specially-abled people. From senior artists to contemporary painters from Chennai, Focus Art Gallery has paintings from all kinds of artists on display. 

The reason why Preeti Garg started Gallery Veda was to make art more readily available and not intimidating. The idea behind the gallery was to take it to the masses and not limit it to the niche market. Continuing on this attempt, she plans exhibitions throughout the year and gets artists from different parts of the country to contribute to the gallery. Pretty cool, eh? 

Started by Bishwajit Banerjee and Sarala Banerjee, ArtWorld was established in 1965 and is one of the oldest galleries in the city. There is a lot of thought that goes into every exhibition at this gallery. Why you ask? Well, every time there is a new exhibition, the artist is invited to the city, where he engages in a conversation with art lovers and shares his thoughts on this latest line. All this over cocktails and more! 

Housed in a bungalow, we found beautiful wooden panels and stone sculptures at this art gallery. With no doors, there are about six rooms in this space and two art galleries, all loaded with carved, wooden panels, stone and wooden sculptures of Nataraja, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Balaji and more. They've got lovely idols and antique furniture too. Read more here.