Know the illustrious Contemporary Artists from India

No evolution is ever stagnant. The ambiguity and the obscure nature of evolution make it dynamic and impressive.

Art, from the pre-historic times to the present epoch, has been on a roller coaster ride of evolution.

From the times when representing deities was a common subject matter to the contemporary times of today when idea values more than the end result, art has evolved beautifully.

Contemporary style is a result of the slow but perpetual transformation that art has been through.

Although the origin of contemporary art comes from the European land, India wasn’t untouched by this up-to-date version of art.

There are prodigious contemporary artists in India that aren’t just eluding a colossal audience but are also able to mark an impression in the western market. 

Contemporary Indian painters, sculptor makers, artifact designers, etc, are all able to gather attention and applauds of art lovers, experts, and collectors worldwide.

Contemporary Art of India

Just a week or so back, the spectacular contemporary artists from India, Nalani Malani, bagged the prestigious Joan Miro Prize, one of the most notable contemporary art honors in the world at Barcelona.

This is just one example of Indian contemporary artists getting recognition across the globe – there are many more.

It won’t be wrong to outline that a crisp and totally new genesis of contemporary artists in India is beginning to show up.

With a strong base prepared by the Gurus of modern art in India like Raja Ravi Varma, V.S.Gaitonde, S.H.Raza, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, F.N. Souza, and M.F.Husain, a much evolved and creative face of contemporary art is being produced in India.

All of these are known modernists who encourage imagination and innovation. The only thing that distinguishes contemporary art from modern art is the emphasis given on the end result.

Contemporary art celebrates the significance and the value of an idea that becomes the source of creation while modernism is all about experimenting with new techniques and tactics to end up with an exquisite result.

However, both of these art forms have multiple similarities. So, the strong bench of Indian modern artists ensured a firmer seat for contemporary artists in India.

Have you ever interacted with any contemporary artist in India? Talk to these artists and see what the situation of contemporary art in India demands.

See how the thought process of these artists flows. Another way is to go through the impressive profile of a few renowned contemporary artists from India mentioned-below:

Atul Dodiya

A Mumbaikar, Atul Dodiya is one of India’s most famous artists, who is known for his impeccable pieces that completely defy neat classification.

Born in 1959, Atul’s artworks, collections, paintings, sculptors, etc signify a complex reply to the crisis he experiences in his life.

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One of his most expensive works was ‘Lodging in Somnath’ that was sold for a whopping £357000 in 2007.

A graduate from J.J.School of Art, Bombay, Atul was passionate about painting from the time he was a kid.

The turning point of Atul’s career was his visit to Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was heavily influenced by the early Renaissance and the modern art periods.

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Being a bold artist who has earned recognition and stature similar to the greats of Gaitonde and Souza, Atul never shies away to make a statement with his ferocious Indian political and art history centered themes.

Bharti Kher

The British-Indian artist, Bharti Kher, is known as an amazing sculptor, installation artist, and an ecstatic painter.

She was born in London in 1969 but later moved to India to satiate her inevitable quest to become a contemporary artist. Bharti surely makes up to the list of top contemporary artists in India.

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The highlight of her work is the bindis and the conventional mediums. Like S.H.Raza, Kher is also quite obsessive with Bindu.

However, she realized Bindi, which is the ethnic forehead dot worn by Hindu women, is a manifestation of the sophisticated convergence of religious beliefs, sublime beauty, possession, and home life.

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She apparently makes it to the list of impeccable contemporary artists from India.

Jitish Kallat

No doubt, Jitish Kallat is an honorable and already famous contemporary artist in India.

Born in 1974 in Mumbai, Jitish can be rightly tagged as the master of various trades. He is excellent in spanning painting, sculptor installation, photography, and oeuvre.

He is one true contemporary artist who taps a wide range of subject matters from focusing on the detailing of the skin or fruit or on the scratch of shirt-pocket of a stranger.

He knew exactly how to amplify his art to intensify more on people and their scapes.

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For his excellence and visionary outlook, Jitish’s work has appeared in different illustrious exhibitions like Tate Modern (London), Hangar Bicocca (Milan), Martin Gorpius Bau (Berlin), Busan Museum of Modern Art (Oslo), Gallery of Modern Art (Brisbane), Kunst Museum (Bern), Serpentine Gallery (London), and many more.

Raqib Shaw

When we talk about the well-known contemporary artists in India, we cannot overlook the talented, the splendid, and the creative, Raqib Shaw.

Shaw was born in Calcutta in 1974. Today he resides in London and produces exquisite contemporary pieces from there only.

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Raqib has always been a crackerjack of contemporary art of India with his visually loud paintings.

The most awe-striking feat of his work is the utilization of baroque details, affluent motifs, and inclusion of jewel-like surface that help in veiling the brutal and sensual mood of his paintings.

He was a mere 33 years old when his artwork was sold for £2.7 million in 2007. A lot of his works is inspired by the likes of Holbein and Bosch.

You can visualize a typical artwork from Shaw via a number of stages – as the beginning initiates from a drawing on paper, which further is disseminated onto a panel.    

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He is also known for using multiple sources in his creations such as poetry, mythology, history, and literature.

Shaw takes a good amount of time to end up with his creations, making him one of the most stupendous contemporary artists in India.

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