India, throughout the globe, has been known for its traditional artworks. But did you know that there people in the country who are constantly changing and redefining the boundaries of art every other day, especially with the increasing trend of contemporary art. Here is one of the most incredible contemporary Indian artists that you should know if you are even slightly interested in art:

1. Ravinder Reddy: Ravinder Reddy’s sculptures are quite well-known. His sculptures mostly depict human heads that look frontally with wide-opened eyes. These heads never look sideways or over the shoulder and the artist takes these features from the early Greek and Egyptian civilizations where the designs of the sculptures were extremely simple. There is a silenced voice in all his sculptures- a call for future renewal and a repeated outbreak of sensuality. Although his works are not overtly sensual, it can be seen in the irregularity and the mischief in his sculptures. The sensuality is mostly serene and does not speak of excitement but more of fulfilment. His popular works are “Devi II”, “Head (Black)” and “Devi”.
2. V S Gaitonde: Regarded as one of India’s foremost contemporary painters, V S Gaitonde was a part of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group and has completed his art diploma in 1948 from Sir. J J School of Art. In the prestigious Asians Art Auctions 2005 in Mumbai, his work has been sold for INR 9 million. Another untitled painting of Gaitonde, which set the benchmark for Indian artists being a part of the Christie’s debut auction, was sold for INR 237 Million.
3. Shilpa Gupta: Essentially a new media artist, Shilpa Gupta makes use of various forms of technology as mediums to communicate with her audience. She was born in Mumbai and has completed her Bachelor’s degree from the sculpting department from Sir. J J School of Art. Through her work, she addresses current and universal issues such as environmental degradation, globalisation, war, terrorism, intolerance, gender politics as well as human rights. Her popular works of art are “Security Cap”, ‘Blindstars Stars Blind” and ‘There is No Explosive in This-II”.
4. Raqib Shaw: Raqib Shaw was born in Kolkata and has a Fine Arts degree from London’s Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. His artworks are steeped in multiculturalism and hence are both “recognizable and alien” at once. He draws reference from mythology, literature, science and culture and his works are stylistically and materially very unique. His art pieces are greatly post-modern in nature they vividly display the tension between flatness and volume.
5. Bharti Kher: Born and raised in England, Bharti Kher moved to New Delhi in 1990 and her works mostly challenge the concept of home as the location of identity and culture. That is why her art is said to be “an art of dislocation and transience”. Her art also takes on a perspective of an outsider’s observation of contemporary life, class and consumerism in urbanised India. She uses the “bindi” worn by Indian women on their foreheads that is indicative of the third eye as one of her central motifs and the most basic building block of most of her works. Some of her most famous works of art are ‘Train’D to Kill I’, ‘Duck Face’, ‘The Walls Have Ears’ and ‘Off Centre’.
6. Atul Dodiya: Atul Dodiya is an exceptional Indian Contemporary painter whose artworks is sought by many art enthusiasts. His paintings are filled with imagery and packed with motifs of Bollywood stars, political icons, and Hindu mythological characters and so on. His paintings are said to capture his home country that is undergoing a constant churning and addresses issues that range from an exuberant India to scenes that depict a disturbing and disquiet everyday life of a person. His piece, “Lodging of Somnath” fetched him around Rs.3.3 Crore in 2007 and his auctions take place in the same location as some modernists like Francis Newton Souza and Tyeb Mehta. His other notable paintings are “The Window”, “Portrait of Niko Pirosmani” and ‘Fallen Leaves-A Stroll”.

While we have mentioned just 5 artists here, the country is certainly filled with innumerable talent. Gallery7 gives many such artists a platform to showcase their talents and get noticed in the field of art. If you are a contemporary art enthusiast and want to support an artist, do visit our website to know more.