Balraj Khanna Survey at Ikon, Birmingham Traces Six Decades of Cosmic Abstraction

An extensive exhibition showcasing Balraj Khanna's artistic journey over sixty years is currently displayed at Ikon in Birmingham, featuring organic shapes, vibrant galaxies, and cosmic themes. His large-scale piece, Astral Dance, created in 2001, is prominently positioned on the safety curtain at the Birmingham Hippodrome, where it has welcomed theatre patrons prior to shows. This artwork illustrates organic forms—pulsating blobs, outstretched fingers, and blossoming spirals—set against a backdrop of varied orange tones, evoking a sense of enchantment without distracting the audience. In contrast, the Ikon display is characterized by its vividness, with introductory notes highlighting Khanna's birth in Punjab in 1939 and his childhood experience of the 1947 partition of India. A review in The Guardian's art and design section, dated 1 October 2026, questions the presence of darkness, implying that the more subdued pieces in the exhibition leave a lasting impression.