The God of Small Things: Faith and Popular Culture at QAGOMA

Faith, art and the everyday come together in The God of Small Things: Faith and Popular Culture – a must-see new exhibition at QAGOMA. Taking its name from Arundhati Roy’s Booker Prize-winning novel, the exhibition explores how spirituality shapes both the ordinary routine and extraordinary moments, bringing together historic and contemporary works to reveal the presence of faith in everyday objects and its lasting influence on creative expression.

At the heart of the exhibition are 48 rare oleographs by Ravi Varma (1848-1906), one of India’s most influential 19th-century artists, whose work blends European techniques with Indian iconography. Celebrated for giving vivid form to Hindu gods and goddesses as well as portraits of aristocrats and ordinary people, Ravi Varma transformed how sacred imagery was shared. These historic pieces sit alongside pieces from QAGOMA’s contemporary collection of works from across Asia, showcasing diverse expressions of religious iconography, shrines and spaces of worship.

The exhibition shines a light on an international partnership, with QAGOMA joining forces with the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru, India, on a conservation and research exchange to document and preserve Ravi Varma’s delicate prints. Supported by a Maitri grant from the Centre for Australia-India Relations, the collaboration is both a preservation effort and a celebration of shared cultural heritage.

Image one: Raja Ravi Varma / India 1848–1906 / Ravi Varma Press / Karla-Lonavla, India / Sheshnarayan early 20th century, printed c.1910–20. Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA

Image two: Raja Ravi Varma / India 1848–1906 / Ravi Varma Press / Karla-Lonavla, India / Laxmi 1894, printed c.1910–20. Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA

Image three: GV Venkatesh Rao / India / Ravi Varma Press / Malavli-Lonavla, India / Adi Laxmi early 20th century, printed c.1930. Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA