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Event date 30 July -
Event location London
Christie’s Lates is back on Thursday 30 July at Christie’s London from 6pm – 9pm, with an evening dedicated to the current exhibition, The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection — a landmark collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA).
A celebration of modern and contemporary South Asian art through carefully curated scenes drawn from the museum’s extraordinary collection, the event is free and open to all.
All attendees are required to register online or at the door upon entry to consent to be photographed and filmed during the event. There will be one queue for all guests, and registering does not guarantee priority entry.
Explore the programme
The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection
Discover the exhibition bringing together works from KNMA’s extraordinary collection across modern and contemporary practices alongside folk and indigenous artistic expressions from South Asia.
Talks and Lectures
Presented by Christie’s Education
Join us for a series of talks exploring South Asian art, culture and identity.
Guest speakers include Manmeet K. Walia, Professor Partha Mitter, and
Jessica Cerasi.6:35PM - 7:05PM | Lower Ryder
Manmeet K. Walia
Still, We Cross! South Asia and Stories of Collaboration
Manmeet K. Walia is a London-based independent curator, educator and cultural advocate specialising in South Asian modern and contemporary art. Her practice centres on inclusive dialogue and marginalised voices.
7:15PM - 7:45PM | Lower Ryder
Professor Partha Mitter
Why Do We Need to Decentre Modernism? Some thoughts on the Remarkable Exhibition, The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection
Partha Mitter is an acclaimed writer and art historian whose research explores Indian art, colonialism and global modernism. He is Emeritus Professor in Art History at the University of Sussex and an Honorary Fellow of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
8:00PM - 8:30PM | Lower Ryder
Jessica Cerasi
Between Dreams and Meetings
Jessica Cerasi is an independent curator and Head of Programme at the Bagri Foundation. She recently curated Shezad Dawood: Skin of Dreams at the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi and co-curated the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 2024 Venice Biennale. She has held curatorial roles with the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project, the UK Government Art Collection and the Hayward Gallery.
Workshops
Experiment with new techniques in a programme of hands-on workshops spanning printing, embossing, painting and embroidery.6:30pm – 7pm; 7:30pm – 8pm; 8:30pm – 9pm | Augusta Gallery 1
Embroidery with Semira Badesha
Semira will guide you in creating your own personal map taking inspiration from KNMA's exhibition work 'Mapping Dislocation' by Zarina.
6:30pm – 7pm; 7:30pm – 8pm; 8:30pm – 9pm | King Street Annex
Woodblock printing with Neera Sehgal
Create your own postcard using hand-carved Indian woodblocks in this playful workshop led by artist Neera Sehgal.
6:30pm – 7pm; 7:30pm – 8pm; 8:30pm – 9pm | Augusta Gallery 3
Foil embossing with Kushiaania
Slow down and explore pattern through the art of gold-foil embossing with illustrator Kushiaania.
6:30pm – 7pm; 7:30pm – 8pm; 8:30pm – 9pm | King Street Gallery
Painting with Raman Uppal
Join artist Raman Uppal for a cosy painting workshop inspired by the artworks included in The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection
Further Entertainment
6:00PM - 9:00PM | Great Room DJ
Enjoy a unique vinyl soundtrack from Suresh Singh, AKA The Cockney Sikh.
6:00PM - 9:00PM | Gallery Viewing Room
Live portraits
Take a seat with artist Yo-Janda for a stylised portrait that begins with a single free flowing line, prioritising movement and feeling before layering in personal details.
6:00PM - 9:00PM | August Gallery 2
Pop-up bookshop by Shalimar Books
Discover new stories and perspectives at Shalimar Books’ pop-up bookstore, an independent South Asian book specialist celebrating the richness of South Asian literature, culture, and voices.
Food and drink
Served from 6:00PM | St James's 1 & 2Darjeeling Express - Pop-up food bar
Founded by chef Asma Khan and run entirely by an all-female kitchen team, the menu blends slow-cooked royal Mughlai recipes with the street food of Calcutta.
Served from 6:00PM | East Room
Bunta Beer - Pop-up drinks bar
Bunta is the world's first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, proudly brewed in Britain and created to bridge the gap between India's bold, complex cuisine and beer.
Served from 6:00PM | Great Room
Darjeeling Express - Pop-up drinks bar
Enjoy a selection of drinks served by Darjeeling Express to compliment their food offerings.
Meet the participants
Darjeeling Express
Cooked with patience and love, the food at Darjeeling Express is an homage to the matriarchs of home kitchens everywhere. Founded by chef Asma Khan and run entirely by an all-female kitchen team, the menu blends slow-cooked royal Mughlai recipes with the street food of Calcutta, using spices chosen to heal, nourish and replenish.
Website: darjeeling-express.com
Instagram: @darjeelingldn
Bunta Beer
Bunta is the world's first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, proudly brewed in Britain and created to bridge the gap between India's bold, complex cuisine and beer. Crafted to complement spicy and flavourful dishes, Bunta delivers a refreshing, full-bodied drinking experience without alcohol. Inspired by Britain's vibrant food culture, Bunta brings a new perspective to the world of beer whilst also recycling its brewing waste into innovative textiles via its technology, BuntaTex.
Website: buntabeer.com
Instagram: @buntabeer
Suresh Singh (AKA The Cockney Sikh)
DJ, curator and long-standing figure in London's counter-cultural scene, Suresh grew up surrounded by music, the kitchen record player always spinning beside simmering dhal and roti pans. Born in Spitalfields in 1962, he became the first Punjabi punk, drumming on Rough Trade releases and touring with seminal bands including Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure. Drawing on decades of musical discovery, he will share a carefully curated selection of rare and classic Indian vinyl from the 1950s through to the 1980s.
Instagram: @thecockneysikh
Neera Sehgal
Neera Sehgal is an artist and printmaker with a deep connection to traditional Indian block printing. Her practice bridges cultures, drawing on historic techniques while encouraging contemporary expression through pattern, colour and hand-made process. Neera is passionate about sharing the stories embedded in craft and guiding others to embrace experimentation, imperfection and joy in making, celebrating the craft of block printing.
Website: neerasehgal.com
Instagram: @neerscreenprints
Mush Studio (Kushiaania)
Kushiaania is a UK-based illustrator who uses design to explore and reflect on her British Punjabi heritage and its influence on identity and self-expression. Through her use of vivid colour combinations and inspiration from the natural world, she aims to create illustrations that resonate with authenticity and whimsy. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with renowned brands including Royal Historic Palaces, Apple, Penguin Publishing, and, in 2023, was the winner of the Diet Paratha × Johnnie Walker Keep Walking campaign.
Website: kushiaania.co.uk
Instagram: @wearemushstudio @kushiaania
Mush Studio (Yo-Janda)
Manny, aka Yo-Janda, is a creative who loves exploring his upbringing and identity through his art. With a background in graphic design and illustration, his distinctive style combines abstract lines and playful, character-driven visuals. Manny has worked on projects with brands such as Dishoom, Cloth Surgeon, Topologie and Khao Suppers, and loves to illustrate live portraits at events.
Instagram: @yo_janda
Semira Badesha
Semira Badesha is a multidisciplinary creative who explores themes of migration and identity through her work. She specialises in embroidery, focusing on the Panjabi folk art of Phulkari, using the discipline as a way of honouring nature, spirituality and craft heritage. With a deep interest in archiving, Semira enrolled in the British Library's archiving course and now delivers creative sessions to engage others with personal and community archives. Semira has led workshops for community groups and cultural institutions, including the V&A and Kew Gardens. She also recently contributed to the community consultation group shaping Kensington Palace'sThe Last Princesses of Punjab exhibition.
Instagram: @semirabadesha
Raman Uppal
Raman Uppal is a London-based contemporary artist whose practice is informed by a background in both art and engineering. He has exhibited work across London and, alongside his painting practice, leads creative workshops that encourage people of all levels of experience to explore their creativity, having previously collaborated with organisations including the British Museum and Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.
Website: ramanvisuals.com
Instagram: @ramanvisuals
Manmeet Walia
Manmeet K. Walia is a London-based independent curator, educator and cultural advocate specialising in South Asian modern and contemporary art working across institutional and museum contexts. Her ACTA-nominated exhibition (Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia, first shown at SOAS Gallery, London, is currently on display at Cartwright Hall, Bradford Museums, alongside Assassins and Lovers: a rehang of the museum's South Asian collection anchored by Amrita Sher-Gil's Portrait of a Woman. Her practice centres on inclusive dialogue and marginalised voices.
Instagram: @manmeetkwalia
Professor Partha Mitter
Partha Mitter is a writer and historian of art and culture, specialising in the reception of Indian art in the West, as well as in modernity, art and identity in India, and, more recently, global modernism. At present he is Emeritus Professor of Art History at the University of Sussex, a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford, and an Honorary Fellow of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Website: parthamitter.com
Jessica Cerasi
Jessica Cerasi is an independent curator and Head of Programme at the Bagri Foundation. She recently curated Shezad Dawood: Skin of Dreams at the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi and co-curated the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia at the 2024 Venice Biennale. She has held curatorial roles with the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project, the UK Government Art Collection and the Hayward Gallery
Shalimar Books
Established in 1968, Shalimar Books is London's leading independent South Asian book specialist. Based in Kennington, it offers a carefully curated selection of literature, history, politics, poetry, children's books and more, alongside fair-trade art and handmade crafts from across the Indian subcontinent.
Related events
The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection | 16 July - 21 August
Christie’s presents The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection, a landmark collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), celebrating modern and contemporary South Asian art through carefully curated scenes drawn from the museum’s extraordinary collection.
Christie’s Education presents the Art of South Asia: London Lecture Programme | 28—30 July
Join our complimentary lecture programme on South Asian art, curated by Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, with leading voices in the field and staged in dialogue with the exhibition.
Special Events
More about Christie’s Lates
Combining art, music and specialist talks, Christie’s Lates are the perfect opportunity to mix with like-minded art lovers after hours. With free entry, each curated evening in this new series of events aims to bring art to life and inspire conversation, showcasing highlights from our upcoming auctions alongside interactive activities, talks by guest experts and enticing food and drink.