Women of Mathematics From Around the World
Exhibited: 10 January 2026 – 15 March 2026
Venue: Science Gallery Bengaluru, Sanjaynagar
Partners:
Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bengaluru,
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS),
Raman Research Institute (RRI)
Women of Mathematics is a photographic exhibition featuring portraits by Noel Tovia Matoff and curated by Sylvie Paycha. The exhibition presents photographic portraits and personal narratives of women mathematicians from around the world, exploring their lives, work, and intellectual journeys. Through these stories, the exhibition highlights how lived experiences shape the practice of mathematics across diverse cultural, institutional, and social contexts.
The exhibition has been shown at over 170 locations worldwide, with Science Gallery Bengaluru among the few venues in India to host it. More information about the exhibition and its current presentation can be found at womeninmath.net
“We are delighted to work with the German Consulate General in Bengaluru to showcase women mathematicians from across the world for our young audiences. We trust this will encourage young men to recognise women mathematicians as part of the intellectual landscape and for young women to fearlessly think of mathematics as their own, just as the women portrayed in the exhibition have been able to. We join our partners the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences and the Raman Research Institute to continue the work of encouraging young adults in their pursuits.”
- Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director, Science Gallery Bengaluru
“For more than a decade, Sylvie Paycha and I have been portraying female mathematicians worldwide. Even after 37 such sessions, I am still inspired by the passion with which female mathematicians explain, describe, and paint their theories on the blackboard.”
- Noel Tovia Matoff, Photographer
“Worldwide, women doing research in mathematics and theoretical physics are still scarce. The first purpose of the exhibition was to make visible women of mathematics and theoretical physics from around the world and to encourage young women to embrace a career in mathematics and/or theoretical physics. Beyond this first goal, this exhibition has served as a tremendous networking tool between female scientists from around the world, who might not have met elsewise.”
- Sylvie Paycha, Curator
“Women of Mathematics‘: Prof. Sylvie Paycha and Photographer Ms. Noel Matoff have meticulously curated the portraits of brilliant female mathematicians. I believe that the exhibition will inspire many visitors. We have to acknowledge that for centuries, women have made substantial contributions to mathematics, yet their names were often kept in the margins and men frequently received the credit. ‘Women of Mathematics’ changes our point of view: it makes visible how female brilliance in mathematics is and was always present.”
- Achim Burkhart, Consul General of Germany in Bengaluru
Public Programmes
The exhibition was accompanied by a series of public programmes that expanded its themes and conversations.
The Making of an Exhibition: Women in Mathematics | 04.01.26
A panel discussion featuring photographer Noel Tovia Matoff, mathematician Sylvie Paycha, and physicist Sumati Surya, exploring the process behind creating the exhibition. The discussion unpacked the making of the portraits, the documentation of personal narratives, and the role of storytelling in shaping the curatorial approach. The panel reflected on mathematics as a human practice, shaped by lived experience, and examined the institutional, cultural, and systemic conditions influencing participation in the field.
Observing the World from a Quantum Perspective | 15.01.26
A talk by Kasia Rejzner, a mathematician featured in the exhibition, introducing foundational ideas in quantum theory; from quantum mechanics to concepts in quantum gravity. The session invited audiences to rethink space and time as quantum objects, exploring ideas such as quantum rulers, quantum clocks, and quantum reference frames—an area currently at the centre of active research.
Math is Fun: How Folding Paper Creates Mathematics | 25.01.26
Led by Disha Kuzhively, participants explored mathematics through the art of paper folding. In particular, examining the criteria for flat-foldability. Through hands-on folding, participants formulated conjectures, tested their validity, and proved some of them together.
Math is Fun: The Symmetry All Around Us | 01.02.26
Led by Disha Kuzhively, participants explored symmetry through visual examples and everyday patterns found in sarees, wallpapers, and floor tiles. They learned how these familiar designs can be described mathematically. The session also offered a glimpse into group theory—the branch of mathematics that studies symmetry—revealing how complex patterns can be broken down into simpler components.
Math is Fun: Fractals | 07.03.26
Participants joined Disha Kuzhively to explore a question that mathematicians continue to investigate. Through an introduction to the discovery of the aperiodic monotile—a single shape that can tile a flat surface only in a non-repeating way, they experimented with creating their own tilings. The session also looked at fractals, shapes that exhibit repeating structures at different scales—and compared these with the non-repeating patterns formed by aperiodic tiles.
Shh, the Universe is Discrete! | 08.03.26
Participants explored the idea that space and time may not be smooth and continuous. In this talk, Sumati Surya, theoretical physicist at the Raman Research Institute, examined the nature of matter, space, and spacetime from both philosophical and physical perspectives. The session highlighted the important interface between mathematics and theoretical physics, as well as the synergy between the two, through an exploration of discrete spacetime and quantum gravity.
How I do Math | 15.03.26
Mathematics was explored as a tool used far beyond the discipline itself, shaping work across diverse fields and scientific practices. The panel brought together Sumati Surya, physicist, in conversation with Rukmini Dey, mathematician; Dhavala Suri, nanoscientist; Pravabati Chingambam, cosmologist; and Shachi Gosavi, biologist, to discuss their research and the role mathematics plays in it. The discussion highlighted how even non-mathematicians employ sophisticated mathematical techniques as essential tools in their work.
Media Coverage
The Hindu (Print Edition) | 15.01.26
Celebrating women mathematicians from around the world
Frontline | 11.03.26
Why women in mathematics still need a room of their own
