Geometries of the Infinite: form meets spirit

Geometries of the Infinite is a rare retrospective tracing over fifty years of Akkitham Narayanan’s artistic journey. Bringing together his iconic geometric abstractions, the exhibition highlights how form, rhythm, and intuition become vessels of contemplative depth. Curated by Anahita Daruwala Banerjee, the show honours a multigenerational relationship and invites viewers into a universe where precision meets stillness. What follows is an intimate conversation with both artist and curator.

Akkitham Narayanan: Geometry as Spirit, Form as Prayer

Looking back over fifty years, Akkitham does not see dramatic shifts but a gradual deepening. “It is like water finding its way through stone,” he reflects. His essential questions have remained constant: How does one touch the eternal through the material? Over time, he has moved from asserting control to allowing the work to “arrive.” This shift from making to receiving, he believes, marksthe true evolution of his practice.

For Akkitham, geometry is not mathematical but spiritual. Each line or circle carries energy, a vibration. “Precision opens the door to what cannot be measured,” he says. Balance emerges not through force but through attentive presence. When a form is placed with complete sincerity, it becomes a vessel for the infinite.

Critics often speak of an inner vibration in his paintings, something he attributes to intuition. “Painting is prayer,” he says. There comes a moment in each work when thought recedes and something deeper takes over. When the ego becomes quiet, the work begins to breathe on its own.

Discipline and calmness, recurring qualities in his work, stem from devotion. Precision is not rigidity but respect for the order of the cosmos. “Art and life are not separate. The patience I seek on the canvas is the patience I seek in living.”

Rhythm, repetition, and variation shape his compositions like waves — constant yet always new. Subtle shifts in proportion or colour create a quiet momentum, lending the work its pulse. His experiences in Kerala and Paris blend seamlessly: the temple geometries of Kerala meet the clarity of European modernism, giving rise to a rich, contemplative abstraction.

As younger artists embrace technology, Akkitham sees new possibilities. Digital tools, he believes, can deepen the quest for clarity if approached with intention. His hope for first-time viewers of the retrospective is simple: “A moment of stillness — alive, tender, and open.”

Anahita Daruwala Banerjee: Curating a Life’s Devotion

Curator Anahita Daruwala Banerjee approached this large-scale retrospective with one guiding thought: coherence over chronology. Akkitham’s lifelong inquiry — the search for the divine through form — forms the exhibition’s spine. “A circle from 1985 speaks to one from 2020,” she notes. The title Geometries of the Infinite reflects how simple forms reveal endless possibility in his hands.

The exhibition layout mirrors the contemplative quality of his work. Soft lighting, intentional pauses, and shifts in scale encourage slow engagement. “Rush through it and you miss everything,” she explains.

This show also carries a rare emotional lineage: three generations of her family have worked with Akkitham since the 1970s. This shared history brings depth and devotion to the project.

To make the work accessible to contemporary audiences, Anahita focused on universal experiences — stillness, meaning, presence — rather than dense theory. Her curatorial philosophy is rooted in stewardship: preserving the artist’s vision while building bridges for today’s viewers.

“Curating a legacy like this,” she says, “is an act of love — requiring precision and tenderness in equal measure.”