A Day in the Life of Jaipur Centre for Art

Last November, the Jaipur Centre for Art (JCA) was inaugurated at Jaipur’s City Palace, co-founded by art patrons Noelle Kadar and HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh. More than just an exhibition space, JCA serves as a dynamic residency and public arts initiative, fostering a dialogue between contemporary art and Jaipur’s centuries-old traditions of craftsmanship.

The inaugural exhibition, “A New Way of Seeing,” was curated by Peter Nagy and featured a compelling mix of Indian and international artists—Anish Kapoor, Hiroshi Sugimoto, L.N. Tallur, Tanya Goel, Manjunath Kamath, Alicja Kwade, and more—the show set the tone for JCA’s ambitious vision. Open seven days a week, including two free public days, the space has quickly become integral to the city’s cultural landscape.

Jaipur has been a global center of design and craftsmanship since its founding 300 years ago. Through exhibitions, residencies, and collaborations with artists, galleries, and institutions, JCA seeks to connect contemporary fine art with this rich artistic legacy. The residency program is tailored to each artist’s needs, offering flexible durations—weeks, months, or a schedule formed over years—focused on research, production, or immersive engagement with the city’s artisans and archives.

On the day of the opening of The Sculpture Park’s fifth edition in late January, Whitewall joined Kadar and HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh to experience a day in Jaipur and gain insight into their aspirations for JCA’s future.

Morning at City Palace, Jaipur

The day began in JCA’s exhibition space at City Palace to go over the final layout for the new site of The Sculpture Park. Perched on a hill overlooking Amer city, Jaigarh Fort—built in 1726 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II—includes Vijay Garhi, the section that had remained closed for 120 years until its reopening in August. Now, this historic space within Jaigarh serves as the site of The Sculpture Park, bringing contemporary art into dialogue with centuries-old architecture. 

Finalizing the layout, we made last-minute adjustments to the lighting. Renovating the Vijay Garhi for The Sculpture Park has been an exercise in restraint—preserving its natural patina while introducing essential elements like electricity and lighting. The fort, once a garrison with rooms filled with chainmail and armory, required meticulous cataloging and relocation of these artifacts.

With the exhibition opening that evening, every detail had to be meticulously planned—from the placement of lighting on the sculptures to the positioning of musicians and ambient lighting. Hosting events in Jaipur means embracing its tradition of immersive, spectacular experiences.

Late Morning at the Jaipur Centre for Art Residency

The next stop was the JCA residency, where a dear friend of ours was deeply engaged in a sculpture he had been working on over months.  Jaipur has always championed art and craftsmanship at the highest level, and our residency continues that legacy.

Each residency is bespoke—some artists require expansive studio spaces, while others need only a desk or access to artisans. One of our current residents is collaborating with traditional block printers and papermakers, diving into the City Palace archives, and engaging with local historians. The idea is to use Jaipur as a resource. Whether it’s block printing, metalsmithing, marble carving, or inlay work, the city offers an unparalleled wealth of materials and expertise. Our residencies are called open-ended or flexible because it’s not just about starting a conversation—it’s about completing one, and that requires time.

Beyond the studio, residents are woven into the city’s artistic fabric. We arrange studio visits with local artists’ studios like Shilo Suleman and Prashant Pandey. 

Afternoon at Jaigarh Fort

The afternoon was dedicated to the final walkthrough of The Sculpture Park. This edition is particularly exciting because it’s the first at Jaigarh. Unlike the previous location—a palace—this fort has an austere, almost Brutalist quality. Its smaller, monastic rooms create an entirely different dynamic. The Sculpture Park was founded by Saath Saath Arts, a nonprofit initiative by Aparajita Jain of Nature Morte Gallery in Delhi and curated by Peter Nagy each edition. This is the first year it is co-presented with JCA in its new location. 

No matter how much planning goes into an exhibition, it’s only once installed that its full impact is felt. The strength of the works in this space changes the space itself and our perspective in ways we did not fully anticipate.

Public art is also a growing focus for JCA. On our veranda, we have a plinth for sculpture, and the lawn hosts rotating installations. One of my favorite references is Daniel Buren’s columns, or Colonnes de Buren, located across from the Louvre in the courtyard of the Palais Royal. Many visitors don’t realize these iconic striped columns are an artwork—to many, they are simply a part of Paris. That’s the goal here: for these works to seamlessly integrate into Jaipur’s everyday visual vocabulary.

An Evening Celebrating with Art, Music, Food, and Friends

The opening was a grand celebration, blending art, music, and culinary heritage. Raffles, our hospitality partner, prepared a contemporary take on traditional Rajasthani cuisine—slow-cooked dishes infused with regional flavors. The setting, the music, the art—it all came together beautifully. HH, Aparajita Jain, Peter Nagy, and I were all very happy with how this ambitious project came together, and look forward to a long partnership. 

JCA’s vision extends far beyond its walls. We hope to lead the way for more exhibition spaces in Rajasthan by setting a model and inspiring others to support contemporary art. For us, it’s about fostering dialogue, inviting diverse perspectives, and collaborations.

With free entry on select days, JCA can attract over 1,000 visitors daily. It’s incredible to see people engage with works by Sean Scully, Anish Kapoor, and Sugimoto. We also hope to inspire young people to view the arts as a viable career—not just as artists but as curators, writers, and arts administrators.

Jaipur’s potential as an arts hub is undeniable. We hope more artists move their studios here—rents are still more affordable than in Delhi or Mumbai, and we have an extraordinary ecosystem of materials and artisans. Around the corner, galleries like Around Them Oranges are pushing boundaries, and we support each other. This is just the beginning of a new chapter—one where Jaipur reasserts itself as a center for contemporary art.

As the night wound down, the sense of momentum was palpable. JCA is not only reviving Jaipur’s artistic legacy—it is actively shaping its future.