Bharti Kher: Between Worlds

Known for her imaginative and transformative sculptural works, Kher creates figures that inhabit spaces between worlds: human and animal, myth and reality, the familiar and the uncanny. Drawing on materials rich in cultural meaning, her work explores questions of identity, belonging, memory and transformation, often through powerful reflections on gender and the body. 

Using the display, opening 20 July 2026, as a starting point, this discussion will explore the broader themes that run throughout Kher’s practice. Together, the speakers will consider the role of myth in contemporary art, the ways objects and materials carry personal and collective histories, and how artists navigate ideas of cultural identity in an increasingly interconnected world. The conversation will also reflect on experiences of womanhood, hybridity and metamorphosis, exploring how contemporary sculpture can challenge inherited narratives and create new ways of seeing ourselves, our histories and the collections that preserve them.  

The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A, offering an opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and continue the conversation.

To make the most of the discussion we encourage attendees to view the new display Bharti Kher at the V&A before attending, or straight after the event.