Subodh Gupta
Born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, Gupta studied at the College of Arts and Crafts, Patna. From 1997 onwards, the artist has held solo exhibitions of his paintings and sculptural installations in Delhi, Mumbai, Amsterdam and New York. Group exhibitions include: ‘ The Tree from the Seed’, Henie Onstad, Kunstsenter, Oslo (2003); ‘Under Construction’, The Japan Foundation/Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (2002); ‘Post Production’ (Sampling, Programming & Displaying) Galleria Continua, San Gimignano, Italy (2001) and the Triangle International Artists workshop, New York (1997). He received the ‘Emerging Artist Award’, which comprised of a solo exhibition at Bose Pacia Modern Gallery in New York (1997) and was awarded a scholarship from Lalit Kala Academy for residency at Ghari Studios for one year. Gupta’s works are littered with references to past and present experiences. Swinging from significant information to seemingly irrelevant motifs, Gupta’s constructions weave highly eccentric imaginings with public myths and rituals. Drawing mainly from everyday objects and scenarios, his aesthetic delineates the complex inter-relations of India’s urban and rural communities. It shows the effects of consumerism and the modernization of traditional Indian society. Taking an ironic swipe at Capitalism’s materialist ethic, Gupta nonetheless portrays the social and economic aspirations of rural communities and lower class Indians with an affectionate compassion. The artist lives and works in Delhi.
