Artist Featured in Upcoming MFA Exhibition Found Dead in India

Hema Upadhyay photo via Wikimedia Commons

Internationally acclaimed artist Hema Upadhyay, whose work is featured in the Museum of Fine Arts’ upcoming exhibition “Megacities Asia,” was murdered in India over the weekend.

The bodies of the artist and her lawyer Haresh Bhambani were discovered tightly wrapped in plastic sheets and stuffed into cardboard boxes, which were spotted jutting out of a drain by a garbage collector in a Mumbai suburb, according to the Times of India.

The MFA expressed condolences over the tragedy on social media.

“Hema’s captivating work reflected not only her unique creative vision, but also her deeply felt compassion for the vulnerable communities around her,” said Al Miner, who co-curated the “Megacities” exhibition, on Facebook. “I’ll miss her generous spirit, intelligence, warm, and energy.”

In India, the investigation remains ongoing. According to Daily Mail, a main suspect, who reportedly confessed to the double murder, has been arrested in Varanasi and transferred over to Mumbai police.

Works by Upadhyay and 10 other artists, including Ai Weiwei, will be exhibited at the MFA in April.