At Inko Centre, Chennai, eight artists trace their memories of Chennai

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Artworks displayed at the Inko Centre, Chennai | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Filter coffee, Madras checks, the lungi, Marina Beach, Central Station — mention these and Chennai instantly comes to mind. Every city has its own distinct character, shaped by sounds, sights, flavours, and everyday rituals that endure the test of time. When Madras changed to Chennai in 1996, the name changed, but for a generation, the city still felt the same. At Inko Centre’s Legacies: Memories, Culture, Traditions – Madras to Chennai, the exhibition traces the city’s past and present through artworks that explore its urban landscape, textile traditions, architecture and everyday life, offering a glimpse into how Chennai has evolved while holding on to the memories that make it unmistakably its own.

Checks and Tumblers: Madras to Chennai by Sathya N Prabhu | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In artist Sathya N Prabhu’s series Checks and Tumblers: Madras to Chennai, a set of three paintings traces the city’s transition through the changing language of the sari. The works feature women dressed in the familiar Madras Checks, accompanied by the traditional filter coffee davara set , a fixture in South Indian homes.

Sathya’s women are often by themselves or engaged in conversation with another, captured in moments of leisure and repose. “There is a perception that women are always working; even when they are at home, you can see them doing something. I wanted to show that women also rest, when they take time out for themselves,” says the artist.

Checks and Tumblers: Madras to Chennai by Sathya N Prabhu | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The paintings are rendered in the Nayaka style, drawing from the mural and panel traditions that developed under the Nayak rulers of South India, particularly between the 16th and 18th centuries in regions such as Madurai, Thanjavur and Gingee. In her paintings, the passage of time is also reflected in the women’s attire, with shifts in the sari’s drape, patterns and styling.

Some of the other artists include Kirubakaran N, Preethi Umapathy, Rajesh RV and VR Raviram, who use paintings and sculptures to share their memories of Chennai.

“The exhibition reflects how the city has changed over 387 years — from the Madras Presidency to Madras, and finally to modern-day Chennai. This historical shift serves as the foundation for exploring the ‘legacies’ of the city. It also highlights how the rich culture and traditions of Madras (such as its art, textiles, and daily habits) continue but have transformed or modernised in today’s Chennai,” says curator Ashrafi Bhagat.

Artist Dilip Kumar Kesavan’s Chennai is the one spent on the beaches; the abstract works done on plywood feature conch shells and lungis, typical of beaches and fisherman communities. “You barely see people wearing lungis these days, but they are also a common sight when you sit at the beach.