Living without the Gods

Flourish fellow and Chicago-based artist Shaurya Kumar investigates how human societies construct meaning and identity in the absence of monuments and objects that once anchored their cultures. Kumar explores the transformation of artifacts when displaced from their original contexts, reflecting on the modern ruin. Through printmaking, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and installation, he examines crumbled temples, relocated columns, empty tombs, and lost traditions, questioning the fate of cultural relics lost to time, museums, or private collectors. The exhibition fosters dialogue on identity, history, and diaspora.