Chennai gets a new contemporary art hub in Virugambakkam

CHENNAI: A quiet residential street in Virugambakkam has become home to Chennai's newest contemporary art space. Housed in a 50-year-old family home in Elango Nagar, Art Cube Gallery officially opens its doors with First Impressions, an inaugural exhibition that’s on till June 10 and features works by 18 emerging and established artists.

Art Cube Gallery emerged from a shared vision during the pandemic. Dakshayani Balakrishnan and artist AV Ilango saw the need for a platform that could support talented yet underrepresented artists and help them connect with collectors and art enthusiasts.

“While South India is home to many talented artists, several of them struggle to find opportunities to present their work, connect with audiences and build visibility. It resonated with me immediately," says Dakshayani. Together with Ilango and his daughter Priya, she became one of the designated partners of Art Cube Gallery. What started as a digital initiative soon evolved into a platform dedicated to supporting artists. The team created an online gallery and showcased artworks along with artist profiles, helping artists reach audiences beyond geographical boundaries.

Art Cube Gallery spent the last five years building a community of artists, collectors and art enthusiasts online. Earlier this year, the gallery took its next step by opening a permanent physical space. “The decision to establish the gallery in Virugambakkam was deliberate. Unlike Chennai's traditional art hubs, this neighbourhood had never been associated with gallery spaces. People interested in attending exhibitions or workshops often have to travel across the city. Chennai has grown significantly and traffic can be a challenge. We wanted to create a space that would be easily accessible for residents of Virugambakkam, KK Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Porur and nearby areas," adds Dakshayani.

The founders also saw the move as an opportunity to decentralise access to art. Rather than expecting audiences to travel to established cultural districts, they wanted to bring contemporary art into a neighbourhood setting and make it part of everyday community life.

“AV Ilango brings over 50 years of artistic experience to the initiative, creating greater awareness about contemporary art. Through artist interactions, talks and public programmes, we hope to encourage meaningful conversations around art and foster a stronger culture of collecting original works.”

While First Impressions marks the gallery's first physical exhibition, it is only the beginning of a larger vision. “We plan to host curated solo and group exhibitions, workshops, live art demonstrations, artist talks, residency programmes and art appreciation sessions throughout the year,” she shares.

First Impressions brings together the works of 18 artists spanning diverse styles and media. Participating artists include AV Ilango, Asma Menon, Dakshayani Balakrishnan, Dhiyaneshwaran VR, Hemalatha, Jacob Jebaraj, Jeyaraj, Karthikeyan Pitchaimallian, KG Narendrababu, Manisha Raju, NK Baskaran, NS Manoharan, Raju Durshettiwar, S Saravanan, Saroja Ravi, Selva Senthil Kumar, Thejomaye Menon and Varalakshmi B. “Visitors can expect a varied collection of paintings, sculptures, photography, folk art, serigraphs, abstracts and mixed-media works. The exhibition reflects both established artistic voices and emerging talent, staying true to the gallery's vision of creating meaningful opportunities for artists while introducing audiences to a wide range of contemporary practices,” concludes Dakshayani.