Here’s a list of six Indian artists that are known for their unique yet impactful sensibilities in contemporary art.
Shilpa Gupta
New media artist Shilpa Gupta is popular worldwide for her multimedia art forms, many of which include those in video, sculpture, text, sound, and technology formats, as well as installations. Her artworks are known to address various gender and social barriers one comes across in everyday life. Gupta has received international recognition at various auctions throughout the years and often showcases at international auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. One of her most notable artworks includes For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Hide—100 Jailed Poets (2018), showcased recitations of poets who have been imprisoned for their politics and was exhibited at the 2019 Venice Biennale.
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Jitish Kallat
Contemporary artist Jitish Kallat uses paintings, sculptures, photography, installations and multimedia as his art forms. Besides being one of the most expensive artworks in the country, his art is known for the message they represent. With a lot of his work inspired from his experiences in the city of Mumbai, his artworks lend a reference to the city’s local train scenes, lives of migrant workers and more. One of his painting series, Dawn Chorus (2007) feature street children with their heads of hair depicted as city scenes in black-and-white.
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Bharti Kher
Whether it’s life-sized sculptures or resin-coated saris, contemporary artist Bharti Kher is one of India’s unique artists, conveys powerful narratives through her artworks. Kher has a unique relationship with the bindi, a commonly seen motif in her artworks. One of her sculptures, The Skin Speaks a Language not its Own, features a life-sized female Indian elephant brought to its knees, covered in thousands of white bindis. She has also collaborated with international luxury brand Dior for a range of handbags featuring the bindi. Kher regularly showcases at the India Art Fair along with various local and international auction houses.
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Sheela Gowda
Popular for her large installations, Bangalore-based contemporary artist Sheel Gowda also uses unique, everyday materials such as human hair talismans, cow dung, kumkum and incense for her artworks. A lot of her work translates India’s socio-economic affairs and depicts marginalised Indian communities. One of her 2006 artworks, Darkroom, features an urban slum home that doubles as a perforated window to the night sky with the help of a constellation of perforations.
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Vijay Pichumani
Chennai-based Vijay Pichumani’s work, which predominantly uses wood as a medium, is based on a vast range of his experiences through his bike ride across the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Through his work, he attempts to reflect on the grave problem of water shortage faced by the states. One of his recent works, Fusion, features a man’s deep-rooted connection with nature through a dramatic wooden installation. While the human figure was carved out of a single piece of wood, the roots were pieces of wood he picked up from the streets of his village. He is also the recipient of the 56th National Award for Woodcut Print.
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Ravinder Reddy
Known for his unique style of contemporary art, Reddy’s work includes giant female heads usually decorated in vibrant colours with bold features. Reddy’s wide-eyed sculptures are often a representation of a fusion of Indian religions as well as an inspiration from Hindu goddesses and local women he is surrounded by in real life. His work is widely recognised on global as well as national platforms have given its distinctive sensibilities.
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