Madras Craft Foundation opened the DakshinaChitra Art Gallery in January 2005, with the objective of bringing contemporary art through exhibitions to the public. With the opening of the Art Gallery Madras Craft Foundation has taken one more step on its journey to bridge the past with the future and its goal to promote and encourage contemporary art and design.

The prominent location of the Gallery between the reception center and the restaurant gives it high visibility to our approximately 80,000 annual visitors. (2005 visitor ship figure)

DakshinaChitra also offers seminar space and guest house facilities at very reasonable prices.

Theme exhibitions coupled with seminars have been very successful at DakshinaChitra.
We invite collaborations for special theme exhibitions and seminars with a potential to
impact the arts, architecture, ecology and society.

National Art Week January 2010

Dakshinachitra in Collaboration with Lalit Kala Academi, Kalakshetra Foundation and Cholamandal Artists Village hosted a National level Artists Camp from 18 – 24 January .

Four different mediums like painting, print making, ceramic and stone carving were hosted by the four organizations.

DakshinaChitra hosted the painters camp. The participating Artists were

Akhilesh from Bhopal, C. Douglas from Chennai, Kashinath Salve from Mumbai, Vipta Kapadia from Mumbai, Guru Siddappa from Bangalore, Rajeswara Rao from Hyderabad and Veera Santhanam from Chennai.

Painting Exhibition -   Group Show - August 2009

Dakshinachitra  hosted an art exhibition  by  4 Chennai based artists .Gayathri Aditya’s works were surrealistic in tones of blues, reds and greys. She works from Chennai and is also a print maker. Santhana Krishnan’s doors were very popular with the visitors. All his paintings were based on different  styles of traditional doors combined with painted canvas. Gita's works are semi-abstract with the suggestion of a female form, architecture, musical instruments, or some combination of these elements. Mark Rathinaraj’s works were realistic, based on rural theme, folklore and people. His works are monochromatic in shades of ochre, browns, yellow, black and white. Exhibition was inaugurated by  Rm.Palaniappan -  Secretary, Lalit Kala Academi

Photo Exhibition - August 2009

On “ Independence Movement and Chennai” at DakshinaChitra.

The exhibits are from Roja Muthiah Research Library Trust which enables development of research libraries and archives relating to South Asian studies and serve the needs of scholars. The panels had a collage of photos, drawings and cartoons from various magazines and news papers of the freedom movement time -  Swadeshamitran, Gandhi, Kalki, Swathandra Sangu  to name a few.

Photo Exhibition by Prabhu Harsoor – May 2009

Photo exhibition on “Contemporary Art in Folk Elements” by Prabhu Harsoor , who experiments new style of composition by blending the contemporary art in folk elements. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. A.V.Ilango

Artists Camp - March 2009

Four Artists were invited from various parts of India along with senior artist Laxma Goud to produce and present one work each in a five day camp. The artists invited were Gopinath, Jyothirmoy De, Narendra Babu, Shruti Devi Thakur.  Their  works are   preserved in the museum collection of contemporary art at Dakshinachitra

Exhibition of Photographs - March 2009

Different forms of Indian Classical Dance Forms took shape in the form of Large photographs by

Dr. Sushil Pani of  Pondicherry from the Geet Govindam Trust.The Photo exhibition brought out the salient features of the various dance forms like Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Kathak and  Bharathanatyam.

As part of the Chennai Sangamam Festival, "Refine Lines" an art exhibition by the students of Government College of Art and Craft was organized at DakshinaChitra Art gallery from 11-17th January, 2009.

Dakshinachitra Art gallery  had  organized Coast to Coast , an exhibition of paintings by The Goa College of arts & The University of Connecticut, USA from 3rd to 10th January 2009.

This exchange exhibition had been organized by Hanuman Kambli, The Goa college of Art and Kathryn Myers, The University of Connecticut. It originated in the coastal state of Connecticut at Jorgensen Gallery. Later the exhibition travelled to Goa to Ruchika art gallery in December 08. In January 2009, the exhibition was held  at Dakshinachitra followed by a power-point presentation by Kathryn Myers.

Timings 10am to 6 pm all days except Tuesdays.

Dakshinchitra Art gallery present Coast to Coast , an exhibition of paintings by the the Goa College of arts & The university of Connecticut, USA from 3^rd to 10^th January 2009.

This exchange exhibition has been organised by Hanuman Kambli, The Goa college of Art and Kathryn Myers, the university of Connecticut. It originated in the coastal state of Connecticut at Jorgensen gallery. Later the exhibition travelled to Goa to Ruchika art gallery In December 08. In January 2009, the exhibition will be on at Dakshinachitra followed by a power-point presentation by Kathryn Myers. Few works of students of both the Artists will also be a part of the show.

Timings 10am to 6 pm all days except Tuesdays.