Subodh GUPTA

Subodh GUPTA (b. 1964) is a renowned contemporary artist from India, who has gained international acclaim for his innovative reinterpretations of everyday household items. GUPTA is particularly well-known for transforming ordinary objects, such as stainless steel utensils, into large-scale sculptures. He is captivated by the shiny yet often undervalued qualities of stainless steel, using this material to recreate everyday items into dramatic, large-scale installations. GUPTA challenges the notion of art and value by elevating commonplace materials into works of art, seeking to discover new beauty in the process. His installation pieces, composed of hundreds of mass-produced tools, symbolically explore the complexities of human existence and the impacts of globalization. By utilizing mass-produced objects, GUPTA addresses issues of productivity, mass consumption, consumerism, and the resulting waste, conveying profound messages about society and the world. In recent years, GUPTA has also focused on painting, capturing familiar objects from his surroundings in oil on canvas medium. Through his work in sculpture, installation, and painting, he has consistently explored his artistic themes. These works delve into the complex social, economic, and cultural contexts of India. Kitchen utensils, for instance, are used as symbolic elements to highlight the contrast between the rich culinary culture and the challenges of securing sufficient food in modern Indian society. GUPTA's abstract paintings give objects new contexts beyond their ordinary uses, transforming them into symbolic images that evoke a sense of suspended time and space.

 

Subodh GUPTA was born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, a location centered on Buddhism. After majoring in painting at Patna Art College (1983-1988), he now lives and works in New Delhi. His works have been highlighted in numerous major international biennales and exhibited in many solo shows across Asia, Europe, and America. Notable solo exhibitions include Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche (Paris, France, 2023), Monnaie de Paris (Paris, France, 2018), Mead Gallery (Coventry, UK, 2017), Hauser & Wirth Gallery (Somerset, UK, 2016), National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia, 2016), Victoria and Albert Museum (London, UK, 2015), ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL (Seoul, Korea, 2014), MMK Museum of Modern Art (Frankfurt, Germany, 2014), National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi, India, 2014), and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (New Delhi, India, 2012). GUPTA’s works are part of collections in renowned museums and foundations worldwide, including the Tate Collection (UK), Guggenheim Museum (USA), MMK Museum of Modern Art (Germany), National Gallery of Modern Art (India), Sara Hildén Art Museum (Tampere, Finland), Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (India), Centre Pompidou (France), Louis Vuitton Foundation (France), Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), Saatchi Collection (UK), François Pinault Collection (France), and ARARIO MUSEUM (Korea).