Art practices in post-independence India presented a complex amalgamation of traditional and modernist visual aesthetics.

Many artists were looking at their cultural roots as inspiration for their artwork after the partition in the wake of colonial rule. As the decades progressed, numerous artists from across the country were sent to European institutions on scholarships and witnessed a turn towards more abstractionist and modernist influences in their practice.

In India, sculpting practices in particular have their roots dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization with small terracotta figurines depicting a range of wild and domesticated animals. Meanwhile, modern and contemporary sculpting practices in the country present a very different image. This exhibition attempts to map the transformative processes that shape the physical forms of sculptures and the broader narratives of identity, memory, and society in a newly independent nation. The show focuses on the modern artists from the three major hubs of artistic exchanges particularly Calcutta and Santiniketan in the East in ‘The Bengal Influence’, the Madras College of Art in the South in ‘The Madras Movement Moderns’ and Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda in the West in ‘The Baroda Vanguards’ along with a highlight on contemporary artists shaping the visual grammar of present-day sculpting practices in ‘The Contemporary Connoisseurs’.

Ranging across mediums, the sculptures in Moulding Outlines illustrate various techniques, materials, and themes. Surveying the evolution of sculpting to contemporary times, this exhibition aims to spotlight the artistic endeavours of the past several decades while also prompting us to ponder the future trajectories of sculpture in India, as artists continue to explore the intricate outlines that sculpt our collective identity.

The Bengal Influence

In the post-independence era in Bengal, the nationalist sentiment guided the artistic practice of a whole generation of artists. Influenced by the Tagore School and its teachings, artists like Meera Mukherjee and Ramkinker Baij had their practices rooted in the local and the indigenous. Prodosh Das Gupta and Sushen Ghosh on the other hand studied at art institutions in London and Paris which largely informed the evolution within their individual practices exploring the interplay between traditional narratives and contemporary iconographies. In the late 20th century, Sarbari Roy Chaudhary and Somnath Hore employed the medium of Bronze through abstracted figures addressing their social and political context.

The Baroda Vanguards

Established in 1950, the Faculty of Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda became one of the first schools in the country to offer a degree in fine arts. Shankho Chaudhuri and Himmat Shah are some of the notable figures known for their integration of the female form with cubist and modernist structures. Artists like Latika Katt and Nagji Patel expanded the dialogue by incorporating media such as bamboo, paper mache, marble and stones with abstract forms. Vivan Sundaram on the other hand challenged the conventional narratives, creating works reflecting the social and political histories employing a variety of mediums including readymades and found materials. While many artists from the faculty were central catalysts pushing boundaries of contemporary practices of the time, in this we are able to highlight a few of the pioneers from the school. This list is in no way exhaustive

The Madras Movement Moderns

Emerging in the 1960s, the Madras Art Movement was established with an emphasis on the linguistically and culturally unique legacy of South India, and aimed to create a regional style of modernism in India through dialogue with local and traditional aesthetics. The Madras School of Arts and Crafts became the loci for the movement. Three generations of educators and pupils: D. P. Roy Choudhury the school's first principal, S. Dhanapal as his pupil, and the following generations of artists like C. Dakshinamoorthy and Vidyasankar Sthapathy were all part of the language setup by the movement. Noted for their innovative techniques and engagement with regional motifs, the artists explored the relationship between form and context, bridging the gap between heritage and contemporary expression.

The Contemporary Connoisseurs

Our definition of contemporary sculptural practices has expanded considerably since the late 20th century to include unconventional media and installation-based artworks. Artists such as Navjot Altaf and Debanjan Roy engage with socio-political themes and cultural tensions employing the medium for critique and reflection. On the other hand, Debasish Mukherjee and Martand Khosla take inspiration from urban and architectural landscapes to create their sculptural installations. The contemporary Baroda alumni P.S Ladi, Valsan Kolleri, Trupti Patel, Dhruva Mistry and Ravinder Reddy are known for creating their individualistic languages in Sculpture setting up an important precedence for the up-and-coming generation of artists experimenting with the form. Artists like Rajendra Tiku, Karl Antao and Saurav Roy Choudhary offered a unique perspective on metaphysical themes and the human condition while challenging traditional iconographies.

C. Dakshinamoorthy (1943 - 2016)

Born in Tamil Nadu in 1943, C. Dakshinamoorthy renowned as a modern master, belongs to a generation of progressive artists of the late 1950s and the early 1960s in Madras (current Chennai), the artistic centre of South India. It was indeed a significant period in time in the modern art history of India in general and specifically South India, whereby artists were on an undaunted search or pursuit to express the modernity within their thoughts and inspirations via the embracement of the rich artistic tradition that they were readily endowed within India. The artist graduated from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, in 1966. At the Madras Government College, he trained under notable mentors like A.P. Santhanaraj and S. Dhanapal, both of whom had a significant impact on his development as an artist. Later, as a British Council scholar, he completed a post-graduation course in Advanced Printmaking at the Croydon College of Design and Technology in 1978.

Dakshinamoorthy is inspired by observing the people around him, particularly their unique patterns of behaviour, expression of moods, postures and gestures. His visual vocabulary derives mainly from Ayyanar figures and African sculptures and is expressed in various media including different kinds of stones, ceramics and bronze. A versatile artist, Dakshinamoorthy also paints in mixed media, acrylics, crayons, watercolours and ink on paper and canvas.

The artist’s first solo exhibitions were held in London and Croydon in 1978, and he has since shown his work in cities like Buenos Aires, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi. Amongst his honours and achievements are a National Award from the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 1986; the Mysore Dasara Award in 1972; and State Awards from the Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai, in 1963 and 1965.

Debanjan Roy (b. 1975)

Debanjan Roy (b. 1975) completed his Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts (Sculpture) from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, in 1998, and Masters in Visual Arts (Sculpture) from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, in 2000. In 2016, he was also the artist in residence at the Château De La Napoule, Nice, under the Asiatic Museum, Nice, France, in collaboration with Akar Prakar, India.

Some of his recent solo shows include Toying with Gandhi, Akar Prakar, 2021 & 2019; Metamorphosis, Akar Prakar, New Delhi and France, 2015; Waste Side Story, Akar Prakar, Kolkata, 2014; The Altar of Convenience, Aicon Gallery, New York, 2013; Looking for Bapu, Akar Prakar, Ahmedabad and Kolkata, 2010.

Debanjan has participated in several group shows including Multitudes & Assemblages for Hub India at Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti, Turin, Italy, 2022; Sightings: Out of the Wild, KNMA Noida, 2019; Seattle Art Museum, USA; Bangladesh Art Biennale, Dhaka, 2013; Vermont Studio Centre Residency Open Studio show, Johnson, USA, 2011 and 2012; Enduring Legacy, Berlin and Munich, Germany; Reprise Aicon Gallery, London; and Who has seen Mr. Gandhi? at Tangerine, Bangalore, 2010, to name a few. He has been awarded the Navonmesha Puraskar by Lath Sarvodaya Trust, Kolkata 2005; Nirman Art Award, Kolkata, 2004; Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship, New Delhi 2002; Junior Fellowship, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Govt. of India, among other honours. The artist lives and works in Kolkata, India.

Debashish Mukherjee (b. 1973)

Debasish Mukherjee (b. 1973) was born in Chapra, a historically important town in Bihar. He grew up amidst open spaces and railway colonies, mixing freely with people from various social backgrounds. He graduated from the Banaras Hindu University with a specialization in Painting. Rooted in India, Mukherjee manifests his keen observations of India’s built environment, social fabric and events from his day-to-day life into his art practice. Mukherjee’s work tends to interrogate the way an object or memory is preserved, celebrated or neglected.

He has also conducted extensive research with weavers and artisans across India, especially within Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Gujarat. He has had solo exhibitions including Whispering Lanes at Akar Prakar, Delhi (2023); River Song, at Akar Prakar, New Delhi (2019) and Museum Within at Akar Prakar, New Delhi (2016). He has also participated in numerous group shows including The Legacy of Loss: Perspective on the Partition of Bengal at Kolkata Centre for Creativity (2021); Multitudes & Assemblages for Hub India at Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti, Turin, Italy (2022); Inner Life of Things: Around Anatomies and Armatures curated by Roobina Karode at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Noida 2022); Partition of India…1947 at National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi (2022); Freedom and Awakening at The Alipore Museum with Kolkata Centre for Creativity (2023) and the India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale at Red Fort, New Delhi (2023) to name a few. His works are in permanent collections such as the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and The Partition Museum, Delhi. The artist lives and works in New Delhi.

D.P Roy Choudhury (1899 - 1975)

Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury MBE was an influential Indian sculptor, painter, and educator. Born in Tajhat, now in present-day Bangladesh, he played a pivotal role in shaping modern Indian art. Roy Choudhury's artistic journey began with his early training under renowned masters—learning painting from Abanindranath Tagore, life drawing and portraiture from E. Boyess, and sculpting from Hiranmoy Roychoudhuri. His artistic development continued in Italy, where he refined his skills.

Proficient in both plaster and paint, Roy Choudhury mastered bronze casting and created paintings that blended various techniques. His works incorporated elements of Chinese and Japanese art through processes like the Japanese wash and his own unique scratching method. While his early paintings were influenced by Tagore, he quickly evolved his distinct style.

Roy Choudhury's artistic vision was deeply rooted in Indian cultural traditions, yet carried a contemporary resonance. His paintings often portrayed mythological narratives and historical figures, blending classical techniques with his personal interpretations. This dynamic balance between the classical and the modern is a hallmark of his work, reflecting his ability to respect and engage with historical contexts while pushing artistic boundaries.

Throughout his career, Roy Choudhury received numerous accolades. He was honoured with the Most Exalted Member of the British Empire (MBE) by the colonial government in 1937, and later, the Padma Bhushan from the President of India in 1958. In 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Rabindra Bharati University. Today, his works are featured in major national and international collections, standing as a testament to his enduring legacy.

Dhruva Mistry (b. 1957)

Born in 1957 in Gujarat, Dhruva Mistry is a prominent Indian sculptor whose work spans from small-scale domestic pieces to monumental public commissions. He studied sculpture at M. S. University of Baroda and later at the Royal College of Art in London. Drawing inspiration from both ancient and modern civilizations, Mistry explores cultural tensions through a variety of materials and genres. His sculptures, often metaphorical, draw on themes from myth, literature, and religion, while maintaining a contemporary perspective. Mistry emphasizes that his work, while rich in symbolic imagery, is grounded in his observations of the world rather than religious iconography, focusing on the essential qualities of form—texture, beauty, and shape.

Best known for his stainless-steel freestanding sculptures, Mistry is recognized for his exploration of materiality, particularly in terms of contrast and scale. His recent exhibitions have also highlighted his Digital Drawings, a project he has developed since the mid-1990s. These drawings feature shapes, images, and silhouettes of relief sculptures, reflecting his interest in the interplay between pictorial forms and space, as well as the relationship between parts and whole forms, rendered through lines and colours.

Mistry has held several solo exhibitions, including ‘At The Turn Of Form’ at Akara Contemporary, Mumbai (2023), and ‘New Work 1999 - 2019: Dhruva Mistry’ at Akara Art, Mumbai (2019). His work has been featured in other significant exhibitions, such as 'Dhruva Mistry: The Human Abstract' at Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai (2016), and 'Something Else' at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2014). Mistry's public art sculptures are installed in notable locations like Victoria Square in Birmingham, Goodwood in Sussex, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and the Hakone Museum in Japan. The artist lives and works in Vadodara.

Himmat Shah (b. 1933)

Himmat Shah was born in Lothal, Gujarat in 1933 and grew up surrounded by the remnants of a prominent port city of Indus Valley Civilisation. Himmat Shah initially trained to become a drawing teacher before enrolling at the Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University Baroda to study painting from 1956-1960. He then received a French Government scholarship on recommendation and went on to study etching at Atelier 17 under Krishna Reddy in Paris in 1967.

Himmat Shah was a member of Group 1890, a short-lived artists' collective founded by J. Swaminathan. Shah has widely experimented across forms and mediums, making burnt paper collages, architectural murals, drawings and sculptures, though he sees himself as primarily a sculptor. His self-designed tools and innovative techniques give his preferred medium – terracotta – a contemporary edge. Shah uses several tools, brushes, instruments and hand tools to carve, shape and mould his works. From 1967 onwards, he started working on relief work and sculpture, and he is widely recognised for his abstracted terracotta and bronze sculptures. His best-known work remains the heads in terracotta and bronze.

Himmat Shah has participated in several solo and group shows in India and abroad. In 2003, he was conferred with the Kalidasa Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shah also received the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, in New Delhi, in 1988.

The artist lives and works in Jaipur.

Karl Antao (b.1966)

Karl Antao, born in 1966 in Mumbai, is a distinguished artist known for his remarkable ability to breathe life into cold blocks of wood. A graduate of the Sir J.J. School of Applied Arts in 1991, Antao transitioned from a successful career in advertising to pursue his true passion for sculpture. This shift was driven by his desire to bridge the gap between a designer's vision and the final form, bringing forth creations that resonate deeply with human emotions. His work primarily involves wood, a medium that challenges him to infuse stillness with dynamic expression. Occasionally, he also works in bronze, further expanding his artistic range.

Antao's sculptures are monumental, both in scale and emotional depth. He skillfully transforms his chosen materials into complex visual metaphors that convey a wide spectrum of human experiences. His work is characterized by a profound dialogue between the medium and the emotions he seeks to express, resulting in pieces that are not only visually striking but also emotionally charged. Each sculpture stands as a testament to his mastery of form, texture, and emotion, making his creations resonate on both a physical and emotional level.

Over the years, Antao has been recognized for his contributions to the art world with several prestigious awards. These include the Indian Habitat Award for Best Solo Show in 2005, the Bendre-Husain Award in 1995, and the Bombay Art Society Award in 1993. He has also been honoured with a silver medal from the Government of Maharashtra, further cementing his reputation as one of India’s leading sculptors. Antao's work continues to captivate audiences, offering them a powerful and immersive experience through his evocative sculptures.

Latika Katt (b. 1948)

Katt completed her bachelor’s in fine arts from Banaras Hindu University and later completed her master’s from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, in 1971. Interestingly, hers was the first art degree batch of the prestigious institution and she was the first female student to receive a gold medal in sculpture from the university. Later, in 1981, she received a research scholarship from the Slade School of Art, London.

Greatly inspired by Auguste Rodin, Katt has even studied corpses closely in pursuit of her art. Her artistic process involves understanding the ‘being’ behind the face. Her sitters have included some of the very well-known artists of Indian modern art such as Ramkinkar Baij and N. S. Bendre, among others.

It was in the 1970s that Katt started gaining recognition for experimenting with economically viable materials such as cow dung and paper to create works of art. Her choice of materials has included stone and marble with which she has completed prestigious commissions. She became recognised too for making iconic sculptures of prominent statespersons.

Katt has received many honours, including the national award from the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. More recently, she won the Beijing Art Biennale Award for her bronze work titled Makar Sankranti at Dashawmeth Ghat, Varanasi. She taught in the fine arts department of Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, and continues to divide her time between Delhi and Banaras.

Martand Khosla (b. 1975)

Martand Khosla's (b.1975) art practice explores urban continuity and transformation, as both complement and counter to his experience building in contemporary India. Having founded and run an award-winning architecture studio for over twenty years (Romi Khosla Design Studios). Martand initially pursued art to explore how construction-fueled employment shapes identities and nostalgia. Situated as both participant and observer, he employed tools of the State, such as the ubiquitous rubber stamp, to render its imprint on lives within traditional definitions of power and dispossession. Brick dust collected from his construction sites became a language of tension, allowing the material to pay tribute to both the temporary and permanent, to construction and demolition.

An architect’s natural preoccupation with space inevitably emerges in his work, not as a challenge to ‘build’ – but rather to foreground an object’s intrinsic potentiality. His works traverse the lines between sculpture and object, movement and remnant, material and memory. Inspired by his studies of repetition and the human churning of industrialization, he replicates the micro-processes of macro-construction. And simultaneously, he moves from the lens of authoritarian power to its dispersion, exploring the transformations that lay in between.

Khosla has had solo exhibitions at Nature Morte, New Delhi (2019, 2016); Seven Art Gallery, New Delhi (2012) and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2012). His work was also a part of the State of Architecture, curated by Rahul Mehrotra, Kaiwan Mehta, and Ranjit Hoskote at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (2016). Khosla has shown works in several group exhibitions such as 10 Chairs, Gallery Espace, New Delhi (2019); 50 Years After 50 Years of the Bauhaus 1968, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (2018); This Night Bitten Dawn, presented by Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi and Gujral Foundation, New Delhi (2016); In Other Rooms, GALLERYSKE, Bangalore (2015) and Food, SESC, Sao Paulo (2014) amongst others.

Meera Mukherjee (1923 - 1998)

Born in Calcutta in 1923, Meera Mukherjee drew her inspiration for her art from the common man. Ordinary people doing everyday things found a manifestation in her art. Fishermen, weavers, women stitching - had all been subjects for her work. Meera was a painter as well as a sculptor. In the latter field, she developed her unique technique for making wax sculptures. Bengali calligraphy also often found its way into her work. And, music and dance were her favourite subjects. Through the years, she was actively involved in the research of folk metal castings and the casting techniques of classical Indian sculptures.

Meera Mukherjee initially studied painting at ISOAS, Kolkata but switched to sculpture at the College of Art, New Delhi (then a department under Delhi Polytechnic). Her European sojourn with its diverse art forms, both ancient and modern, opened her eyes to the suitability of one’s own culture as a personal idiom. It was then that she lived with the tribes in Bastar, Madhya Pradesh, India and Dhokra(West Bengal), where she learned the lost wax casting technique. With her studies of bronze casting in Chennai, she developed her own technique which is an amalgam of the folk, South Indian and the Western method. Her close contact with the rural world crystallized in her sculptures as women repairing fishing nets, stitching and embroidering, grading wheat and generally toiling away. Her imagery also includes objects from myth and folklore, refer lost-wax process, cire perdu, and casting.

There are two distinct features that represent the spirit of Meera's work. The first is the celebration of humanism and the other is an ardent desire to break free from a routine and enjoy freedom.

Nagji Patel (1937 - 2017)

Born in Gujarat to a family of farmers, this artist's early years were spent crafting clay toys alongside other village children, sparking a lifelong passion for sculpture. Initially enrolling in the painting course at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University in Baroda, he soon shifted to sculpture, finding it a more intuitive medium. He earned his M.F.A. in sculpture in 1964, the same year he received a travelling scholarship from the Government of India. This opportunity allowed him to visit quarries across the country, where he engaged with stone carvers, deepening his understanding of the material and its possibilities.

Patel's sculptures are distinguished by a unique interplay of polished and rough stone surfaces, a technique inspired by the historical sculptures of Badami and Mahabalipuram. In these ancient works, centuries of human touch have polished certain areas, while others remain in their natural state. Patel adopted this approach in his own work, creating pieces that invite both visual and tactile exploration. He was particularly drawn to carving, enjoying the sensuous qualities of marble, the warmth of sandstone, and the textured surfaces of granite and wood. This sculptural sensibility also extended to his printmaking, where he infused a three-dimensional effect.

Throughout his career, Patel received numerous accolades, including the Gujarat State Award (1962-64), the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award (1976), the Gaurav Puraskar (1997), and the Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Shikhar Puraskar (2011). His sculptures are installed in prominent locations worldwide, including Seoul Olympic Park in Korea, Arandjelovac in Serbia, the Noguchi Museum in Japan, and various sites in Baroda, where he built his career. Patel passed away on December 17, 2017, leaving behind a legacy of work that continues to resonate globally.

Navjot Altaf (b. 1949)

One of India’s leading contemporary artists, Navjot Altaf is a major artistic voice in postcolonial Indian art. Her work is known both nationally and internationally and her nearly five-decade-long practice involves painting, sculptures, installations, video and site-specific works that negotiate various disciplinary boundaries.

She is one of the founder members of the centre Dialogue: Interactive Artists Association, Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh. She has organised seminars/discussions at Samvad 1 (2007), Samvad 2 (2011), Samvad 3 (2015), and Samvad 4 (2019), at DIAA.

Navjot’s work has been written about and curated by some of the art world’s best, including Roobina Karode, and Nancy Adajania, who has written a definitive study of her practice – The Thirteenth Place: Positionality as Critique in the Art of Navjot Altaf – placing it in multiple art historical and political contexts. A two-volume publication Navjot At Work was published in 2022 with essays by Geeta Kapur, Elena Bernardini, Grant Kester, and Leon Tan.

Her numerous solo exhibitions in and outside India and her participation include Disobedience Archive, curated by Marco Scotini, 17th Istanbul Biennial, 2022; Navjot Altaf: Pattern, Ishara Art Foundation, Dubai, 2022; Cognitive Processes: Imagining Ecological Democracy, The Guild, Alibaug, 2022; Samakaalik: Earth Democracy and Women’s Liberation, PAV Parco Arte Vivente, Turin, Italy, 2019; Flight Interrupted: Eco-leaks from the Invasion Desk, Karachi Biennale, 2019; Open Borders, Curitiba Biennial, Brazil, 2019; the 2nd Chennai Photo Biennale, India, 2019; The Earth’s Heart, Torn Out, Navjot Altaf: A Life in Art - A Retrospective, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai presented by The Guild, 2018–2019; How Perfect Perfection Can Be, The Guild, Alibaug, 2015.

Navjot Lives and works in Mumbai and Bastar, India.

P.S. Ladi (1955 - 2023)

Prithpal Singh Sehdave Ladi’s works exhibit his penchant for the eccentric. Ladi infuses his sculptures with a queer humour that move effortlessly from the familiar to the fantastic, or from the apparent to the suggested. However, his works like Wishing Well and the untitled sculpture of a man reading in his bathtub represent the more direct form of realism in his practice.

Born in 1955, in Shillong, Ladi studied sculpture at MS University, Baroda (1981). He was awarded the National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1981; the Gujarat Lalit Kala Akademi Awards in 1978 and 1988; and the inaugural Bendre Husain Award in 1989. He received several scholarships, including the Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1981-82. He has taught sculpture at the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad; and at NIFT, New Delhi.

His major shows include a solo exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, supported by RPG, 1996; the 8th Asian Biennale, Dhaka; Contemporary Indian Art, Peru, 1998; Edge of the Century, New Delhi, 1999; solo show at Gallery Goethe, supported by Kulturreferat, Munich, 2000; See Through, an exhibition in glass, at British Council, New Delhi, 2001; Art from India, Gallery Muller and Plate, Munich, 2002; and Art from Southeast Asia, Munich, 2003.

He represented India at the Asian Art Show, Fukuoka, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea, Sacred Space. His miniature works were shown in New York by auction house Saffronart. Ladi has been working from Kolkata with the support of Akar Prakar and Lalit Kala Akademi.

Pardosh Das Gupta (1912 - 1991)

Born in Dhaka, (now Bangladesh), in 1912, Prodosh graduated from Calcutta University in 1932. He studied sculpture at the Lucknow School of Arts and Crafts, 1932-33, and received a Diploma in Sculpture, at the Government School of Art and Crafts, Chennai, 1934-37. Between 1937-39, he studied sculpture at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and at the Ecole de Grande Chaumiere, Paris; and studied bronze casting at LCC Central School, London.

In 1943 he organised and co-founded the Calcutta Group of painters and sculptors. In 1950, he was appointed as the Reader and Head of Dept. of Sculpture at M. S. University, Baroda. In 1951, he was appointed Professor of Sculpture, at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta. In 1955, he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. In 1957, he joined the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi as the Director. Between 1957-70, he served at the Lalit Kala Akademi in its General Council and Executive Board.

In 1960, Prodosh was elected president of the Third International Association of Arts (UNESCO) Congress, Vienna, and functioned as an executive board member for three years. He travelled to Czechoslovakia, Poland and East Germany on the invitation of the respective governments to meet artists, and visit galleries and museums in each of the countries.

In 1969, he published a book of poems – “Fallen Leaves”, and in 1970 retired from the post of Director, at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Several posthumous shows on the artist have been mounted in the recent past, including an exhibition with the Ministry of Culture at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, Chennai, 2012; and at the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata.

Rajendar Tiku (b. 1953)

Born in Wadwan, Kashmir, Tiku graduated from Kashmir University with a major in Science and Law in 1978 and 1976. He also completed his sculpture course from the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Srinagar in 1978. Tiku became the founder secretary of 5. P. College Artists’ Association. Tiku has received many awards and honours such as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (New York) for one year of advanced work in Sculpture, 2005; 8th Triennale-India (International) award for Sculpture, 1994; National Award for Sculpture, 1993; Senior Fellowship of the Department Of Culture, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India, 1997-99.

He has been invited to numerous sculpture workshops in Switzerland, Israel, Russia, Egypt, Thailand, Cambodia and Turkey. In 2013, the Government of India honoured Rajendra Tiku with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri.

Tiku has taken part in many solo exhibitions including Metaphors in Matter, Gallery Espace, New Delhi (2008); Sculpted Images, Gallery Espace at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (2003); Art Heritage, New Delhi (2003 & 1998); ABCFoundation, Varanasi (1998); Art Heritage, New Delhi (1995); Art Heritage, New Delhi (1992 & 1990); 7th and 8th Triennial, India. India Reflections, in Artibus Foundation, Moscow 2022. The artist lives and works in Kashmir.

Ramkinkar Baij (1906 - 1980)

Ramkinkar Baij was the earliest Indian artist to experiment with abstract sculptural forms. His oil on canvas paintings have a singular experimenting quality going beyond their time, unregimented by dogmas and with only one commitment - to be unstintingly creative.

Born in Bankura in West Bengal in 1906, Ramkinkar Baij studied at the Kala Bhavan, Vishwa Bharati University, Santiniketan in 1925. Trained by two European sculptors, one of whom was a disciple of Bourdelle, who was on a visit to Santiniketan on an invitation by Tagore, his style was still uniquely his own. Groomed by his mentors, Nandalal Bose and Tagore, the clay modeller turned artist. Working at a time when traditional art was transitioning to modern art, Baij's work proved to be crucial to Indian art history. Nature and Baij's own folk background turned out to be the crucial influences in the formation of his own style. Later, he headed the Department of Sculpture at the Kala Bhavan.

He integrated elements of Santhal tribal art and life into his own work and enhanced them with an understanding of Western expressionism that was gleaned from books at the library of the Kala Bhavan.

A retrospective of his works was held at the National Gallery of Art, New Delhi in 2012. His works are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and in several private and public collections. Baij died on August 2, 1980, in Kolkata.

Ravinder Reddy (b. 1956)

Born in 1956 in Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh, Ravinder Reddy completed a bachelor’s of fine arts in sculpture and a master’s of arts in creative sculpture from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, among other short diploma courses.

He was one of the first contemporary Indian artists to draw critical attention in America following his show at Deitch Projects in 2001. He appears in collections such as that of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA; Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan; Frank Cohen Collection, UK; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, USA; and the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia; in addition to attracting attention at various international contemporary art auctions.

He has participated in several solo exhibitions, including Grosvenor Vadehra, London; the Bose Pacia Gallery, New York; Le Jardin d’Acclimation, Paris; the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, USA; and the Sackler Gallery, Washington D.C. His works have also been exhibited in various group shows, including Aicon Gallery, New York (2014, 2012 and 2010); Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2014, 2012 and 2011); Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi (2012); the Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, USA (2011); Walsh Gallery, Chicago, USA (2011); among others.

The artist lives and works in Hyderabad.

S. Dhanapal (1919 - 2000)

Born in Madras, S. Dhanapal trained under sculptor-teacher D. P. Roy Chowdhury at the city’s Government College of Art and Craft. He joined his college faculty after completing his studies, and, in 1957, when K. C. S. Paniker was the principal, Dhanapal was appointed the head of the sculpture department. He eventually became principal of his alma mater in 1972.

Dhanapal studied ancient Indian sculptures for their thematic divisions, techniques, iconography, and iconometry, particularly the grammar of Chola, and Pallava as well as Mathura sculptures of the Gandhara School.

Massive and robust, his sculptures retained the fullness of a three-dimensional form. He experimented with various metals, terracotta and wood with a great command over each medium, exploring varied themes ranging from the biblical and mythological to nudes, portraits and narratives.

Besides being an acclaimed visual artist, Dhanapal also attained fame as a performing artiste—he was an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and was part of several dance-drama productions on stage; he learnt the classical dance forms of Kathakali and Kathak too.

Dhanapal won the Lalit Kala Akademi’s national award in 1962; the Akademi’s regional centre in Chennai held his retrospective in 2001, a year after he passed away.

Sankho Chaudhuri (1916 - 2006)

Sankho Chaudhuri, born in 1916 in Santhal Pargana, Bihar, was a pioneering sculptor who played a crucial role in transitioning Indian sculpture into its Modernist and Abstract phase, countering the dominant European Naturalism of the time. After graduating from Shantiniketan in 1945, Chaudhuri co-founded the sculpture department at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda, in 1949, where he taught and worked until the 1970s. Influenced by Modernist sculptor Ramkinkar Baij, Chaudhuri began experimenting with abstraction, moving away from Naturalism. His education at Shantiniketan brought him into contact with other significant artists, such as Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and potter Ira Chaudhuri, whom he later married.

Chaudhuri's work is characterized by a focus on natural elements and the human form, with a tendency to preserve the original shape of the materials, whether wood or stone, from which his sculptures were carved. This approach often resulted in works that, while figural, leaned towards geometric forms, defined by clear lines and a minimalist aesthetic. His early experiences, including working with Baij on large commissions like the 1945 War Memorial in Nepal, where he learned the lost wax method of metal casting, significantly shaped his artistic trajectory.

Throughout his career, Chaudhuri's works were featured in major exhibitions, including a 1954 exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, and a solo show in 1957 in Delhi. Notable commissions include his 1957 work Music for All India Radio and monumental bronze statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Rio de Janeiro (1964) and Copenhagen (1986). Chaudhuri received several prestigious awards, including the Indian government’s first grant-in-aid to young artists in 1948, the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award in 1956, and the Padma Shri in 1971.

Sarbari Roy Choudhury (1933 - 2012)

Born in Ulpur, East Bengal (now Bangladesh), Sarbari Roy Choudhury graduated in Sculpture from the Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta; and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda. During his study tour in Europe, Roy Choudhury visited Paris and Italy and was able to meet two great masters, Alberto Giacometti and Ossip Zadkine, who appreciated his small bronzes. He studied sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence, Italy; and interacted with Marino Marini and Henry Moore. Following his return to India, he joined the Department of Sculpture at Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan.

Roy Choudhury was a connoisseur of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music and collected rare albums and recordings. His interest and engagement with music are evident from his portraits of renowned singers depicted in the act of performance, such as the intensely animated facial expressions of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1971) and Siddheshwari Devi (1964).

He had many solo and group exhibitions in India and overseas, including a show at the Paris Biennale in 1965. His last exhibition was held posthumously under the Ministry of Culture, along with the Lalit Kala Akademi, in 2012. His works are part of the collections of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, and at The Madam Shenue Museum, Florence, Italy, besides many private collections across the world. A major publication on his work was released by the Lalit Kala Akademi, Ministry of Culture, in 2008.

The artist passed away in Kolkata in February 2012.

Saurav Roy Chowdhury

Born into an artist’s family, Saurav Roy Chowdhury started clay modelling at an early age. Soon after completing secondary school in 1994, he entered Kala Bhavan, the fine arts academy of Visva Bharati University, He did his post-graduation from the same art school in 2001. After completing art school he became a full-time sculptor. His work is characterized by a diverse use of materials such as wax, plaster, concrete, clay, glass, resin, fibreglass, various metals, and occasionally video, which offers a profound reflection on contemporary existence. Best known for refined sculptural explorations of the human body intertwined with organic forms, the artist delves into themes of transcendence, meditation, spirituality, and tragedy. Through these works, they invite viewers to contemplate the deeper aspects of human experience and the world around us.

His major exhibitions include NGMA Gallery, Mumbai, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, CIMA Gallery, Kolkata, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata and Akar Prakar, Kolkata to name a few. Saurav received scholarships from the government of India, the Lalit Kala Akademi scholarship, the National Scholarship, and the Elizabeth Greenshields grant, from Canada.

He has also participated in several art workshops such as the Sculpture Workshop, Ortweinshule, Graz, Austria, the Bronze Casting workshop of Lalit Kala Akademi, Manipur, India, Agder Kusntsenter, Norway, etc. His work has been shown at art biennales, and international art fairs, and his sculpture was sold at Christie’s first art auction in Kolkata in 2008. He has participated in an international artist residency program, Kunstnarhuset messen, Norway, 2017. In 2018, Saurav was chosen as the Artist of Kristiansand, Norway and during that time he worked at Agder Kunstsenter. He has been the recipient of the Birla Academy Award, India, Emami Chisel Art Award, India, Elizabeth Greenshields Grant, Canada, and Kristiansand Kommune Grant, Norway. Saurav lives and works in Santiniketan and Kolkata, India.

Somnath Hore (1921 - 2006)

Somnath Hore was born in 1921, Chittagong (now in Bangladesh). He received a diploma in printmaking from the Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta while being closely associated with the Communist Party. He went on to carry out visual documentation and reportage of the Bengal famine in 1943 for the Communist Party magazine Jannayuddha (People's War). Socialist ideologies formed around the Tebhaga movement in 1946 in Bengal influenced the early phases of his artistic career. By the 1950s he was regarded as one of the premier printmakers in India and headed the Graphics and Printmaking Department at Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, after returning from Delhi where he was in charge of the Printmaking Department of the Delhi Polytechnic in 1958.

He showcased his works in numerous national and international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale, Italy in 1962 and the Sao Paolo Biennale, Brazil in 1963 to name a few. The ‘wound series’ that he started making in the late 1960s as a response to the Naxalite movement and the social unrest around the world, was a unique technique of prints on paper pulp. By the mid-1970s, he turned to wax modelling, subsequently which was transferred to bronze. He was awarded the Lalit Kala Ratna Puraskar by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 2004. The National Award (Painting) by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1960, and the National Award (Graphics) by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1963. He was honoured as Professor Emeritus at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan in 1984. In the same year, he was awarded the Gagan-Aban award in Kolkata. Somnath Hore passed away in 2006 at the age of 85 in Santiniketan.

Sushen Ghosh (1940 - 2023)

Born in 1940, Sushen Ghosh grew up in Silchar, Assam, wherein he received a Government Scholarship to pursue his studies in Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, in 1959. At this pivotal juncture, Ghosh trained under his illustrious mentors, Benode Behari Mukherjee and Ramkinkar Baij, paying careful attention to both materiality and notions of form, as well as the necessity for rhythm invoked by Nandalal Bose. Upon completing his studies, Ghosh was immediately offered a position to teach in the Department of Sculpture. In 1969, he was awarded the British Council Scholarship to study art at Goldsmiths, University of London – a crucial moment in his career, exposing the artist to stalwarts from the Western canon, as he learned from Henry Moore, and took inspiration by experiencing works by Matisse, Paul Klee, and Cezanne, amongst others, and remained especially indebted to Modigliani and Brancusi. He soon returned to Santiniketan, where he continued to teach for over forty years, and a renewed force of abstraction took over, as Ghosh attuned his works towards the precision of geometry, a quest to grasp the movement in stillness, or the form of ‘formlessness’.

Trupti Patel (b. 1957)

Trupti Patel, born in 1957 in Nairobi, Kenya, is a distinguished sculptor who has made significant contributions to the field of ceramic sculpture. She pursued her studies in sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University of Baroda, and later specialized in Ceramic Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London, with scholarships from the British Council and Charles Wallace. Trupti's early artistic journey was deeply rooted in the use of clay and earth, materials symbolically linked to the cycle of life. She explored themes of human existence and our intrinsic connection to the earth, crafting life-size terracotta heads and figures, predominantly female, that captured the essence of life's experiences through intuitive and gestural forms.

As her practice evolved, Trupti began to explore the profound relationship between material and meaning. Her understanding of the inherent symbolism in raw soil, with its organic ties to location and geography, led her to experiment with other materials that carried their own unique narratives. This shift allowed her to engage more deeply with concepts of identity and place, themes that have become central to her work. Her significant solo exhibitions, such as "Places.Earths.Identity" at Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore (2020), and "Individual/Society/Clay Initiatives" at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (2011), among others, have highlighted her continued exploration of these ideas.

Trupti Patel's works are held in prestigious collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Shigaraki Ceramic Sculpture Park, the Birmingham Museum, and the Chelmsford and Essex Museum, among others. She has been recognized with several awards, such as the Charles Wallace India Trust Award (1984) and the British Council Award (1983). Currently, Trupti lives and works in Vadodara, Gujarat, where she continues to create art that resonates with the themes of identity, materiality, and human connection to the earth.

Valsan Koorma Kolleri (b. 1953)

Born in 1953, in Pattiam, Kerela. He studied at the College of Art and Crafts, Chennai, in 1976; Faculty of Fine Art, M.S. University, Baroda, 1979; and Ecole Nationale Superior Des Beaux Arts, Paris, 1986.

Valsan has had numerous solo exhibitions at ‘New Clearage: Retrospective as Artwork’, Talwar Gallery, New York, 2007. ‘Retrospective as Artwork’, Colab Gallery, Bangalore, ‘Retrospective as Artwork’, B.Q. Gallery, Koln, Germany, 2005. ‘Drainage: Rain Harvesting Sculpture’, Khoj, Delhi ‘Retrospective as Artwork’, Project Gallery, Dublin, Ireland, 2004 ‘Draw’, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, 2003. ‘Draw’, Art Inc. Gallery, Delhi ‘Sculpture Show, Egmore Museum, Chennai, Alliance Francaise, Bangalore. ‘Sculpture Age’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai, 1998. ‘Bronze Age’, Center for Contemporary Art, Delhi, 1990. ‘Stone Age and Bronze Age’, British Council Gallery, Chennai, 1989. 1986 ‘This Time Ceramics’, Sakshi Gallery, Chennai, 1986.

He was awarded the 6th Bharat Bhavan Biennale of Indian Contemporary Art Prize, in 1996; the National Academy Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi, 1990; the French government scholarship to study at Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Beaux Arts & to work as a resident artist at The Cite Des Art, 1986 and the Kerala Lalit Kala Academy Award, Kerala, 1983.

Turning loss to his advantage, he creates a theatre where these things are reinstated, pending further use; by virtue of their relationship to their surroundings, they encompass a space which far exceeds their immediate limits. Kolleri has an affiliation with working processes which marginalizes any message that stands apart from the act of putting a piece together. As he asserts, concept apart, the placement of the object or the angle of inclination which it finally assumes is the sculpture, the instant of intervention creating a value hitherto nonexistent.

He runs the Shilpapaddiam a centre for sculpture in Pattiam, Kerala.

Vivan Sundaram (1943 - 2023)

Born in 1943 in Shimla, Vivan Sundaram studied painting at M.S. University, Baroda, and the Slade School of Fine Art, London. With a diverse practice across sculpture, painting, installation, photography and video, he has had solo shows around the world, including New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Toronto, Montreal and Copenhagen.

The Tate Modern opened an exhibit titled Memorial 1993–2014, featuring a room-sized installation of Sundaram’s work in 2023. His last solo exhibition, GAGAWAKA + Post-Mortem (2015), engaged the audience in a compelling dialogue around material, fashion, ecology, body image and the idea of ageing. He has exhibited his work at important international venues, including the Sharjah Biennale (2023, 2005); Kochi Biennale (2023, 2012); Sydney (2008); Seville (2006); Taipei (2006); and Shanghai (2004), among others, and has several museum participations, including the Tate Modern, London; the International Centre for Photography, New York; Queens Museum, New York; the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation, Vienna; Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago; the Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen; and Haus der Kulteren Welt, Berlin, to name a few.

In 2010, the book Amrita Sher-Gil: A Self-portrait in Letters and Writings, edited and annotated by Vivan Sundaram, was published by Tulika Books, Delhi.

The artist passed away in 2023 in New Delhi.

Vidyashankar Sthapathy (b. 1938)

Vidyashankar Sthapathy, born on June 6, 1938, in Karur, Tamil Nadu, is a renowned sculptor deeply rooted in a lineage of artisans that stretches back centuries, possibly to the construction of the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur during the 11th century. Though trained in the classical techniques and econometrics of traditional Indian sculpture, Vidyashankar chose to chart his own creative course. His work is distinguished by his innovative use of materials such as sheet metal, lime plaster, bronze, wire, and stone. In the 1960s and 1970s, he became an influential figure in the Madras Movement, a collective that sought to blend contemporary art with traditional and folk forms. In 1964, he pioneered the transformation of two-dimensional sheet metal into three-dimensional sculptures, a technique that later inspired many of his contemporaries.

As one of the few traditional craftsmen to venture into contemporary sculpture, Vidyashankar is celebrated as a pioneer of the "Madras Metaphor"—a contemporary sculpture movement that emerged in Madras. His work, particularly in sheet metal sculpture, is marked by a deep respect for tradition, adhering to the principles of Sirpa Sastra while simultaneously embracing modern artistic expressions. This balance of tradition and innovation defines his unique style, allowing him to create works that are both rooted in the past and relevant to the present.

Throughout his career, Vidyashankar has received numerous accolades, including awards from the Madras Ceramics Art Show (1961), the Madras State Lalit Kala Akademi (1964, 1978, 1985), and the National Award in New Delhi (1993). He was also honoured with titles such as "Kalai Chemmal" (1996) and "Shilpakalarathinam" (2011). His contributions to the field are recognized in the book The Madras Metaphor, published by Oxford University Press.