Ai Weiwei has opened his first solo exhibition in India at New Delhi's Nature Morte gallery, presenting about a dozen works that span more than 20 years. Highlights include large‑scale toy‑brick pieces such as "Surfing" and "Water Lilies," alongside porcelain, stone and button installations, and three toy‑brick homages to historic Indian paintings. Ai did not attend the opening; the gallery frames the show as a platform for cultural exchange as India engages more with global contemporary art.
Ai Weiwei Debuts in India: First Solo Show in New Delhi Features Lego Masterpieces and Homages to India
Visitors look at an artwork titled "Water Lilies" by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei displayed during his first solo exhibition in India, at the Nature Morte gallery in New Delhi on January 15, 2026 (Manan VATSYAYANA)(Manan VATSYAYANA/AFP/AFP)
The first solo exhibition in India by Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei opened on Thursday at Nature Morte gallery in New Delhi, bringing together roughly a dozen works that span more than two decades of his practice. The show features large-scale toy‑brick compositions alongside porcelain, stone and button-based works, and includes three pieces Ai describes as a homage to India.
Ai, 68, the son of acclaimed poet Ai Qing, is one of China's best-known contemporary artists. He helped design Beijing's famous "Bird's Nest" stadium for the 2008 Olympics before falling out of favour with Chinese authorities after publicly criticising the government. He was detained for 81 days in 2011 and left China for Germany in 2015.
Works On Display
Highlights include the sweeping toy‑brick compositions "Surfing" and "Water Lilies," shown alongside delicate porcelain pieces, carved stone and installations made from everyday objects such as buttons. Gallery co‑director Aparajita Jain said the exhibition intentionally showcases the range of Ai's materials and methods while opening a conversation between Indian and global art practices.
Response And Context
Ai did not attend the opening; in a statement he noted, "This is my first exhibition in India... although there are only a dozen of my artworks, it covers several key points that trace more than 20 years." Jain described the gallery as "a space for expression — a place for conversation where we can learn about art practices from around the world and share histories."
Visitors responded enthusiastically: 20‑year‑old visual arts student Disha Sharma travelled about 90 kilometres from Rohtak to see the show and said, "It's not art that you immediately understand. It makes you think." Artist Srishti Rana Menon praised Ai's contemporary reinterpretation of traditional subjects and the meticulous assembly of the toy‑brick works.
The exhibition arrives as diplomatic tensions between India and China have eased somewhat, even as the two most populous nations remain strategic rivals in the region. Nature Morte hopes the show will deepen cultural exchange so Indian audiences can "find the world in India" as well as seek India in global contexts.
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