This spring, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) presents Envisioning the hindu divine: expanding Darshan and Manjari Sharma, an exhibition organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama that brings together forty historical objects drawn from the museum’s South and Southeast Asian collection with Sharma’s striking contemporary photographs. Together, these works are an introduction to nine of the most significant deities in the Hindu pantheon, some of which are also revered in the Buddhist and Jain traditions. Envisioning the hindu divine will be on view in the Cowden Gallery March 7– July 6, 2025.

Starting as a multiyear, crowdfunded project on Kickstarter, Sharma’s Darshan series of photographs aimed to recreate the experience of encountering the nine Hindu deities. The project required a large team of collaborators, including models to portray the deities, makeup artists, costume designers, and a crew of approximately thirty-five craftsmen to build diorama-like environments. Specific traits identify each deity— physical features, like hairstyles, skin tones, and number of arms; attributes, such as the crowns and jewelry they wear and objects they carry; the postures they assume and gestures they make; and their animal companions. The photographs were all created without digital manipulation. All the objects, costumes, and scenery visible in the images were present when photographed.

The models who portrayed the deities included Bollywood actor Pransh Chopra as Lord Vishnu, well-known journalist and television news anchor Devika Chitnis as Maa Saraswati, renowned bodybuilder and 2017 Mr. World Champion Mahendra Chavan as Lord Hanuman, and successful producer, designer, and actor Kanchan Jadhav as Maa Durga.

The vibrant, varied, and sometimes contradictory stories of these gods—as well as their familial relationships with each other—are shared through the works in this exhibition.

"Envisioning the hindu divine: expanding Darshan and Manjari Sharma exemplifies SAMA’s commitment to showcasing diverse cultural narratives through art. This exhibition invites our visitors to experience the profound connections between history, spirituality, and contemporary creativity”, said Emily Ballew Neff, the Kelso Director at SAMA. "We are honored to bring this inspiring presentation to San Antonio".

The exhibition is also intended to serve as a gateway to darshan. Darshan means “viewing” in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. The term refers to the experience of seeing and being seen by the divine, a profound connection between deity and devotee that takes place through the medium of an image.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, and now based in Pasadena, California, Sharma makes work rooted in photographic portraiture and addresses issues of identity, multiculturalism, and personal mythology.

Alongside Sharma’s contemporary photographs, the exhibition showcases ancient sculptures from the Birmingham Museum of Art’s collection, many of which are being displayed for the first time in this exhibition. Dating back as early as the seventh century, these works reflect artistic styles from South and Southeast Asia, offering unique interpretations of the same nine Hindu deities seen in Sharma’s images. Together, these pieces highlight how art and spirituality have been deeply connected throughout history, showing how modern artists continue to find inspiration in cultural stories, personal experiences, and spiritual traditions.

There will be a full slate of thematic programming in conjunction with Envisioning the hindu divine, including a Spring Break Free Family Day on Tuesday, March 11, special exhibition guided tours every Tuesday and Sunday, and Kids’ Studio sessions every second Wednesday.