Abhay Sehgal’s ‘Chicago Durbar’ Is A Surrealist Homegrown Tribute To The Windy City

Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. Places like New York and Mumbai may be louder and more bustling, but the beauty of Chicago is found in its understated vibrance. It has it all; you can feel at peace by Lake Michigan by day and hit the town to build your repertoire of crazy stories by night. 

I apologise if this reads like a tourism advert for the windy city. My passion for Chicago is born out of the four years I spent in Evanston, a neighbourhood north of the city. Any true Chicagoan would (rightfully) call me a fraud for my connection to the city when I lived in its periphery, but it was all too easy to fall in love with downtown Chicago when it was just a short train ride away.

I’m not alone in my adoration for Chicago. Delhi-based artist Abhay Sehgal’s painting, ‘Chicago Durbar,’ is a tribute to the city through a distinctly homegrown lens. At a whopping 11 feet tall, the painting is a grand blend of contemporary Chicago and Indian history and heritage. Every inch of Sehgal’s canvas captures a distinct element of the two cultures, allowing them to integrate in the most fun, borderline absurd of ways. Chicago’s local basketball players meet Indian Maharajas, exchanging designer sneakers, the true jewels of the midwestern city; men in lungis scale the iconic Chicago Theatre sign like it’s a mallakhamb pole. 

Sehgal is known for his signature brown surrealist style, exploring absurdity through Indian motifs and culture. All his work has a dreamlike quality, making the most of his imaginative powers to create fantastical scenes rooted in his Indian identity. ‘Chicago Durbar’ follows suit, but is elevated by an additional layer of cultural understanding and adoration. As a graduate of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Sehgal’s deep relationship with the city shines through this painting, allowing his two worlds to blend together.

Chicago Durbar was commissioned for Nadu, a new restaurant in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Renowned chef Sujan Sarkar, who is best known for his Michelin-Star winning restaurant, Indienne, opened Nadu to celebrate India’s micro-cuisines. The restaurant’s menu boasts regional dishes from across India, bringing together homegrown staples beyond just butter chicken and garlic naan to Chicago. Diners can enjoy their food under Sehgal’s artwork and experience a blend of two beautiful cultures on both a culinary and artistic level.

Follow Abhay Sehgal here.

Learn more about Nadu here.

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