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Abbas A Malakar

@abbasmalakar

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Curator, writer
@impulse_magazine_ | @not_thiscurator

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I am speedrunning posting about my life because (a) it’s been some time and a lot has happened within a very short span (b) I want to get off of Instagram very soon.

1. At Big Banana with @homo_poetic and gang
2-3. Maharashtra Sadan with my mother @jayeeta.bagchi and @aintsaint_rishi on his birthday
4-5. At Big Chill Cafe with my mother @jayeeta.bagchi
6. Again at Big Banana with @homo_poetic and this was the same night after the preview of Inheritors of Earth
7. 📸 @avali_z on that same night, by which time I was both tired and drunk, but still very happy and enthusiastic. My night ended at 4 am.

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I made a spontaneous and impulsive decision to go to Mumbai last Saturday and that same evening I went to a walkthrough of Salik’s @words_and_images show at Six Continuum @six.continuum

The show “Lightly, Lightly” curated by artist Salik Ansari is an education in how to bring artists together, and a must see for anyone and everyone in Mumbai. I am glad I caught the walkthrough, and very happy to have seen the space.

The two artists currently being shown are incredible. The depth and scale of @krishishahart Krishi’s paintings are perfectly balanced by the intensity and weight of @deepak_k_agasthya Deepak’s meditative and repetitive drawings. Having been seeing Nasreen Mohamedi and Bice Lazzari’s work this past few weeks, I couldn’t but make associations. So much is present in their works for any keen explorer of visual languages and yet in many ways they are formally minimalist. There is a lightness in both as the title suggests, although of very different kinds.

Believe me, you won’t get bored.

The handout brochure they’ve produced is definitely one of the best I have ever seen: designed by Sibya @sibya.r

I missed the opening of Six Continuum, and I missed their first two shows but it is exactly the kind of space I love to see in the art world: caring, welcoming, warm, and aggressively pushing the artists under their umbrella. Also, amazing merchandise—so looking forward to getting some very soon.

Thank you for your hospitality @farahsiddiquikhan @abhinit_khanna @currynricegirl @urjjashah

Looking forward to what you do next.

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‘Clouds of The Unconscious’ is a body of work that originates from closely observing the abundant flora of deep forest ecosystems in montane territories. Moving beyond the collective visualisation of greenery, it uses the individual leaf as a starting point for creating imagery that explores form, pattern and perception. Research into high-tannin flora led to a profound pivot toward psychoanalysis, reimagining the visual language of Hermann Rorschach’s inkblot test. In this body of work, botanical forms converge with human psyche, transforming impressions derived from leaves and flowers into mirrors of internal perception, each titled as ‘self-portrait’.

It is an honour to be showing these works as part the ongoing exhibition ‘Inheritors of Earth’ at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art along with artists whose works I truly admire. Thank you Premjish, thank you Abbas , thank you Isha and thank you KNMA team.

@thepartialprofile @abbasmalakar @ishashreyasingh @knmaindia

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"The landward wind picks up, suggesting that summer is about to end. It feels as if the wind is letting the waves crash onto the shoreline on purpose, a shoreline blooming with seaweed (algae). The scorching late-summer heat and the waves disturb Padina, a fan-shaped brown alga. Like many other algae, Padina breaks off easily as its holdfast weakens. The waves carry fragments ashore, where they strand on the beach; yet some parts remain in the sea, tossed by the surf before being pulled back under.
Some might think that this Padina will now sink to the seabed and slowly decay over the coming months. But Padina survives, eventually settling on another distant rock bed to bloom again, keeping its story alive."

I wrote this some time ago, when I shifted my field from research to the visual arts. And while exploring different “rock beds” in which to “bloom,” my work somehow ended up at KNMA’s exhibition 'Inheritors of Earth' with the same Padina on its cover.

I sincerely thank @knmaindia and @thepartialprofile for giving my art its first-ever exhibit platform. I also thank @abbasmalakar and @ishashreyasingh for guiding me through this entire process. And lastly, to the artists with whom I’m sharing this platform: thank you for sharing your mediums and processes with me, and for welcoming me into this new world.

INHERITORS OF EARTH
Now open at KNMA, Saket, Delhi, from 9 September 2026 to 22 December 2026. Do visit!

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Painting over the white museum wall with brown and black chalk becomes an act of resistance for me: a refusal of the white cube as a neutral, untouched space. Brown and black move across white not simply as colours, but as a way of thinking about skin, bodies, soil, histories, labour, and what has historically rendered peripheral or invisible. The act of drawing becomes both occupation and inscription: a temporary claim to space through collective gesture.
My heartfelt thanks to curator Premjish Achari for inviting me to be part of Inheritors of Earth and for creating the space for this work to unfold. Thank you to the entire team, especially Abbas Malakar, Sayantan Maitra Boka, and to the wonderful artists Meghna, Diran, Joseph, Sneha, Aliza, and Jahnvi, whose hands, energy, patience, and generosity helped make this collective act possible.
And my sincere gratitude to KNMA – Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and the entire museum team for their support, care, and trust throughout the process.

@knmaindia
@galleryespace
#ishitachakraborty #wallmural

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False Flying Tiger Moth Female (left) Male (right)
Gouache on cotton paper, 5.8” x 8.3”

A painting @abbasmalakar commissioned and is now in his collection 🦋
A month ago Abbas reached out with the idea to paint a male and female of the same species against a blue background. Blue has been a consistent colour in my works this year and I loved finding out the subtle differences between the genders. Will definitely return to this format.
This is also the second time ‘charms’ and moths meet in a work 💙

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This is a deeply personal essay that I thought I would never publish. Ever. But I got triggered yesterday.

Saw @bernardomosqueira post a story from an elevator at the @newmuseum and couldn’t hold myself back.

My love to those who read it, and to those who made it possible for me to be alive today to write it.

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Thanks @abbasmalakar for the mention in your write up of @indiaartfair for @impulse_magazine_

Made my day.

@runjeetsinghgallery 🙏🏽

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Abbas Malakar writes about our presentation ‘Manjit Bawa: An Enduring Legacy’ curated by Ina Puri at India Art Fair in his feature for Impulse Magazine.

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“Unlike most contemporary performance artists who position their physical presence as the primary exponent, Rahal diffuses emphasis onto other media [ . . . ] he becomes the system that regulates experience in real time—a bridge connecting audience and work, a producer in the moment.” —Abbas Malakar on Harmeet Rahal

Read about IMPULSE writer @abbasmalakar’s studio visit with @harmeetrahal through our link in bio!
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#impulse #art #nyc #studiovisit #performance

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What an incredible Sunday evening it was, as we hosted the wild fermentation workshop conducted by Megha @goblette_gobbleworthy @spirals_and_circles on @world.ferment.day!

During the first part of the session, Megha shared with us comprehensive knowledge they have gained over 2+ years of fermentation research and practice. There were insightful discussions in between, while we tasted some drinks, lacto fermented veggies and sauces, with sourdough crackers, all made by @goblette_gobbleworthy.

Topics ranged from the history of fermentation, the science behind the process, types of fermentation, to industrial vs indigenous practices. Important questions were raised; who ferments and who has the right to? Why have fermented foods become so popular in recent years? Why does curd taste different depending on where it’s from?

The talk concluded with an important quote - “all flourishing is mutual,” which reminded us that the practice is not just a means for preservation or consumption, but needs to be seen as interspecies collaboration.

The workshop continued with participants co-creating community ferments, where everyone contributed ingredients, putting together 3 unique combinations of lacto-ferments, with both veggies and fruits.

We really appreciate the enthusiasm and curiosity participants showed up with, and it was a joy to share the space with them.

We are grateful to Megha @spirals_and_circles for being an active member of @kolkatachangemakers, and hope to host more sessions with other members of the community.

Follow @kolkatachangemakers and @veditum to keep up with future events!

#Kolkata #kolkataevent #worldfermentday

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Artist-in-Residence at KUNSTRAUM — Applications Open

We’re now accepting applications for upcoming Artist-in-Residence sessions at KUNSTRAUM:

🗓 April–June 2026
🗓 October–December 2026

KUNSTRAUM’s Artist-in-Residence program offers national and international artists a three-month residency in New York City, selected through an open call and juried by KUNSTRAUM’s team and Curator-in-Residence.

Residency includes:
• Dedicated studio space with 24/7 access
• Monthly studio visits with NYC curators and arts professionals (Recent visiting critics include Rachel Gugelberger @rachelgugelberger Curator at Wave Hill, Zachary Feldman, Curator at Goethe-Institute @goetheinstitut_newyork , Sally Morgan Lehman of @morganlehmangallery , and writer and curator Abbas Malakar @abbasmalakar )
• Participation in our annual Members Show
• Online promotion and sales opportunities
• Invitations to talks, salons, critiques, screenings, and community events
• A supportive, engaged artist community

Residencies begin quarterly (January, April, July, October), with limited and competitive slots awarded to artists whose work demonstrates originality and artistic quality.

Whether you’re developing new work, expanding your professional network, or seeking focused studio time within a vibrant community, we invite you to apply.

Swipe to see some community highlights from this last year!

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