India, June 20 -- Russian artist Julia Usmanova's solo exhibition, When India Became Home, curated by Neena Gulati, explores memory, identity, and belonging through evocative figurative paintings shaped by her years-long connection with India. Open at the Main Gallery, Bikaner House, until June 23, the show was inaugurated on Thursday by former chief election commissioner of India SY Quraishi, art critic Uma Nair, and lawyer and social activist Meenakashi Lekhi. A graduate of theSt. Petersburg Art Academy, Russia, Usmanova's work explores femininity, sensuality, belonging, and the sacredness of nature, blending realism with dreamlike imagery to evoke the richness and intimacy of personal memory. Having first arrived in India in 2017, she has returned every year, gradually turning a visit into a sense of home. Memories of monsoon rains, turmeric and mango yellows, and the fragrance of jasmine echo through her work. Trained in Russian academic painting, Usmanova found her artistic language evolving through her experiences in India. A recurring female presence runs through the exhibition, embodying both observer and observed - symbols of nature, emotion, lived experience, and the artist's own perspective. Together, the works trace a deeply personal journey of how a place can slowly become part of one's identity.HTC...