Central to the genre of portrait painting is the intent to capture the visual appearance of a person or object. Historically, portraiture was the privilege of the rich and famous of society. Often commissioned, these works, be it on canvas, paper, stone or ceramic, ensured the persistence of the patron’s memory long after his/her demise. Notions of beauty, power and social hierarchy have been attached to this genre, making it an important tool in the documentation of a time and place. Over centuries, the genre has re-invented itself, much like a palimpsest, proffering new avatars of itself while revealing shades of an art historical past. In a post, post-modern era, portraiture appears to have broken new ground, moving beyond its basic edict to capture a similarity to its subject, serving as a medium through which notions of identity, power, and socio-political dynamics are constructed and de-constructed. The proposed exhibition seeks to examine the re-emergence of this genre through the eyes of contemporary artists, who re-invent the portrait to become a symbol of their times.