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Chintan Upadhyay
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Painter Chintan Upadyay resists viewing his work in evolutionary terms, preferring to regard the creation of each work as an independent event proceeding according to its idiosyncratic requirements. He has resisted easy definition from the start. As a young painter, he gained exposure to two rich and divergent styles of painting. Growing up in Rajasthan, Upadyay was introduced to the tradition of miniature paintings native to the state. More...
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Painter Chintan Upadyay resists viewing his work in evolutionary terms, preferring to regard the creation of each work as an independent event proceeding according to its idiosyncratic requirements. He has resisted easy definition from the start. As a young painter, he gained exposure to two rich and divergent styles of painting. Growing up in Rajasthan, Upadyay was introduced to the tradition of miniature paintings native to the state. More intimately, he became versed in the styles of abstract expressionism through the influence of his father, himself a teacher at the Jaipur School of Art and member of the Takhman 28 group. But Upadyay resisted the easy assimilation of these influences, leaving the Jaipur School of Art to continue his studies in Baroda. He explains, "I feared that I wouldn't grow there."
In Baroda, he found that a narrative style of painting was in vogue, as emblematized by Gulam Shaikh and Bhoopain Kulkar. He cites the two artists as great influences, yet he decided to move in a different direction with his own work. Intrigued by the scope for meaningful juxtapositions, he began experimenting with a series of still lifes. "When you place two objects together, you create a relationship. In my paintings, I sought to analyze this relationship."
In his final year at art school, Upadyay says that he "found my metaphor: to depict objects in a phallic manner," in order to communicate the commodification of sexuality. In one untitled work, he depicts a telephone as a phallus, a representation intended to exemplify masculine consumerism. Among his influences during this period he names the images of roadside advertisements, and kitsch.
On finishing his studies, Upadyay moved to Mumbai, attracted by the cosmopolitan tenor of the city. "Bombay has a different kind of energy from the north, one that triggers physical and psychological effects on the body." When he arrived in the city, he experienced a sense of alienation from its inhabitants which he translated into "pictures that are alien-like". He began experimenting with caricature, satirizing the world around him in a series of paintings busy with visual jokes and puns.
Upadyay created "eerie images," intended to "hammer an established aesthetics". Effectively, his paintings are themselves "critiques of painterly, established norms." He regularly leaves parts of his canvases unfinished, in order to indicate "my interest in present time." He explains that to him, an unfinished painting suggests the possibility that the artist may return to complete the piece, and thus creates a tension within the work. In each painting, he seeks to instill a sense of movement and possibility.
This philosophy equally describes his own approach to art, which is that of a quick-change artist. "After four or five paintings, I usually switch to a new style." He states that "I don't want my paintings to be a signature," explaining that when an artist develops a distinctive style, it is a form of self-parody or self-caricature that is more of an economic response to the world than an artistic one. "A signature is created for the market - people want a signature" style. It is this marketability that Upadyay resists.
Currently, Upadyay has begun working with collage, culling pornographic images from magazines and incorporating them into paintings. Additionally, he has created several soft-form, toy-like sculptures of multi-colored snakes. At heart, however, he identifies himself as a painter.
"My philosophy is created work by work. I don't decide beforehand what I will do; I have to go through the process of painting." When painting, he "starts with color. Many layers and forms come and go until I get something, and develop it. I end with the surface that I intended."
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Born
1972
Rajasthan
Education
1997 Masters of Fine Arts (Painting), Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2015 'Between Time and Culture',...
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2015 'Between Time and Culture', Zorlu Centre, Istanbul
2014 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron', Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2010 'Nature God', Sakshi Gallery, Taipei
2009-10 'Mistake', Inda Gallery, Budapest
2009 'Khatti Mithi', Project at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2009 'Iconic Shrine', Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur in collaboration with Roundabout and Gallery Soulflower, Bangkok
2008 'Mistake', Aicon Gallery, London
2008 'Pet Shop', Ashsih Balram Nagpal Galleries, Mumbai
2008 'New Indians', Galerie Natalie Seroussi, Paris
2008 ‘Metastasis of Signs – A Walk in the Realm of Manipulated Realities’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2007 ‘Tentuaa Dabaa Do (Kill Her)’, Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, Rajasthan
2006 ‘I Want To Be An International Artist’, Solo Performance, Seoul Art Centre, Korea
2006 ‘Clone Vitthala’, Sculptures at Ashish Balram Nagpal Gallery, Mumbai
2006 ‘Maya’, Paintings at Ashish Balram Nagpal Gallery, Mumbai
2005 ‘Baar Baar, Har Baar, Kitni Baar?’, Installation and Interactive Performance, Sarjan Art Gallery, Vadodara
2004 ‘Conker’s’, Installation Project, Spike Island, Bristol, UK
2004 ‘Designer Babies’, Ashish Balram Nagpal Gallery, Mumbai
2003 ‘New Breed / Hybrid’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2002 ‘Commemorative Stamps’, Ashish Balram Nagpal Gallery, Mumbai
2002 ‘Commemorative Stamps’, Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur
2002 ‘Floating thoughts’, Interactive site specific installation, Brisbane, Australia
1999 ‘So What’, The Fine Art Company, Mumbai
1998 ‘This has been done before’, Shahjehan Art Gallery, New Delhi
1996 ‘Desirable Objects’, Leela Kempenski Art Gallery, Mumbai
Selected Group Exhibitions
2012 '2 + 2 = 5', The Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Looking Back, Looking Forward', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2012 'Mapmakers: The Evolution of Contemporary Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2012 'Contemporary: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Art', prsented by Sakshi Gallery at The Park, Chennai
2012 'Sightings', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'Adbhutam: Rasa in Indian Art', Centre of International Modern Art(CIMA), Kolkata
2011 'Skin Deep: The Art of Fibreglass', The Viewing Room, Mumbai
2011 'Between Seasons', Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
2011 'Love is a 4 Letter Word', Latitude 28, New Delhi
2011 'Fabular Bodies: New Narratives in the Art of the Miniature',
presented by Harmony Art Foundation at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharah Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
2011 'Anecdotes', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'High-Light', presented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at The Oberoi, Gurgaon
2011 'Dolls', Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore
2011 'Tech-Cut-Edge-Revelations', Ashna Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'Changing Skin', presented by The Fine Art Company at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai
2010 'A. SYCO', The Viewing Room, Mumbai
2009 'Home Sweet Home', Religare Arts. i Gallery, New Delhi
2009 'Indian Summer', Galerie Christian Hosp, Berlin
2009 'Inaugural Show', Sakshi Gallery, Taipei
2008-09 'Signs Taken for Wonders: Recent Art from India and Pakistan', Aicon Gallery, London
2008-09 'Hot Shots', The Viewing Room, Mumbai
2008 'Uncovered', Sans Tache Art Gallery, Mumbai
2008 ‘Keep Drawing’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2008 'The Ethics of Encounter', Gallery Soulflower, Bangkok
2008 'Indiavata', Gallery Sun Contemporary, Korea
2008 'Link', Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai
2008 ‘Freedom 2008 : Sixty Years After Indian Independence’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2007 ‘Telling It Like It Is: The Indian Story’, The Gallery in Cork Street, London
2007 ‘Here and Now: Contemporary Voices from India’, Grosvenor Gallery, London
2007 ‘Young Guns’, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2007 'Keep Drawing', Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2006 ‘Bombay Maximum City’, Lille 3000, Lille, France
2005 -06 ‘Kaam’, Arts India Gallery, New York and Palo Alto, USA
2005 ‘Annual Exhibition’, Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai
2005 ‘Indian Contemporary Art’, Preview TATE Britain
2005 ‘Configuration’, Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2005 ‘Ways Of Seeing’, Gallery Art Alive, New Delhi
2005 ‘Papereshi’, Sarjan Art Gallery, Vadodara
2005 ‘Present-Future’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2005 ‘Indian Contemporary Art’, Chelsea College of Art, London
2005 ‘Are We Like This Only?’, Rabindra Bhavan, Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi
2004 ‘Bombay Boys’, Palette Art Gallery , New Delhi
2004 ‘Charles Wallace Foundation Awards’, British Council, New Delhi
2004 ‘Concepts and Ideas’, Centre for International Modern art (CIMA),, Kolkata
2004 Gallery 27, Oslo, Norway
2004 - 03 ‘Portraits of a Decade’, Centre for International Modern art (CIMA), Kolkata and Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2004 – 03 ‘Dots and Pixels’, Digital media, Sumukha Art Gallery, Banglore and Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2004 ‘Bombay 17’, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi
2003 ‘Parthenogenesis’, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2003 ‘Corresponding Latitudes’, A Cross Cultural Collaborative Exhibition of Indian and Australian artists, Jawahar Kala Kendra - Jaipur
2002 ‘ Brahma to Bapu', Icons and Symbols in Indian art, Habitat centre, New Delhi, India and Centre for International Modern art (CIMA),, Kolkata
2002 ‘Quotable Stencil’, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2001 ‘ Annual show’, Gallery Wren, Sydney, Australia
2000 ‘Sic.’, an Audio-visual Installation, The Fine Art Company, Mumbai
1999 'Mumbai Metaphor’ Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
1999 ‘Wall Paper’, Lakeeren Art Gallery, Mumbai
1997 ‘Class of 1997’, Lakeeren Art Gallery, Mumbai
1997 ‘50 yr. of Indian Independence’, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, Delhi and Ravi Shankar Rawal Bhavan, Ahmedabad - Gujarat
Joint Exhibitions
2005 ‘You Have to Decide’ an Interactive Installation and Performance Center for Art and Culture, Chiksarda, Transylvania,Romania
2005 ‘I‘m a slut’, a Collaborative Video and Performance with Amit Kekre, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
2004 ‘Made in China’, Collaborative Installation with Hema Upadhyay, Viart Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Made in China’, Collaborative Installation with Hema Upadhyay, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
2003 ‘Post Card’, Project with Hema Upadhyay, part of ‘Parthenogenesis’, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2000 Objects of Desire, Collaboration with Hema Upadhyay, ‘Art and Technology’, Ideas and Images II, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
1995 ‘Circa Early Seventies’, Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara
1994 ‘Discount 33 %', Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara
Participations
2013-14 'Transition', 20th Anniversary Show, Centre of International Modern Art(CIMA), Kolkata
2012 'The Calendar Project: Iconography in the 20th Century', part of Project CINEMA CITY: Research Art & Documentary Practices presented by National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Ministry of Culture, Government of India at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2012 'Synergy 2012', 12th Anniversary Show, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'Red', Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Miniscule Marvel', presented by Contemplate at Gallery BMB, Mumbai
2011 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose
2010 'Finding India: Art for the New century', presented by Sakshi Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Taipei
2010 'Master’s Corner', organized by Indian Contemporary Art Journal at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; India International Art Fair, New Delhi
2010 'Art Dubai 2010', presented by Aicon Gallery, New York
2010 'Roots', 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai at The Park, Chennai
2009 'Lo Real Maravilloso: Marvelous Reality', 20 Years Celebration of Gallery Espace at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2009 'Expressions at Tihar', Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
2009 'ARCOmadrid', Spain represented by Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2008 'Pulse Miami', represented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2008 'The Sakshi Show',Darbar Hall Art Centre, Kerala Lalit Kala Academy, Kochi
2007-08 ‘Kashi 10 Light Years – Anniversary Show’, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi
2007 ‘Have You Eaten Yet ?’, Asian Art Biennale, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
2007 Beijing Art Fair, Beijing, China
2007 'On The Edge of Vision: New Idioms In Indian and Italian Contemporary Art', organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in New Delhi in collaboration with the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata and National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai and New Delhi
2004 ‘Red’, Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Corresponding Latitudes’, A Cross Cultural Collaborative Exhibition of Indian and Australian artists. Jawahar Kala Kendra - Jaipur
1997 ‘Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
Honours and Awards
2004-05 Charles Wallace Foundation Award for Residency In Bristol, UK
2004-05 Charles Wallace Foundation Award for Residency In Bristol, UK
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PAST AUCTIONS
Showing
4
of
14
works
PAST StoryLTD AUCTIONS
Showing
4
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14
works
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