Manav Gupta (b. 1967), one of India’s foremost contemporary artists, is known for avant-garde, installations and sculptures, paintings, large murals and pioneering public art projects.
He has conceptualized and executed back-to-back public art over the recent years with unique interdisciplinary and outreach programs involving all stake holders of society. Beginning with ‘Tree of Life’, a five-floor high, indoor staircase mural (2010) where he involved thousands of non-artists to paint on his mural, his shrinking river installation on the Museum floor, hosted by National Museum Pretoria, South Africa, opened in January 2013. With his giant Ganga Waterfront at IHC New Delhi (2015), he brought a river inside the city as a call to environmental action. It saw a hundred thousand footfalls, following which he embarked on the preliminary leg of his ‘Ganga to Mississippi Art Project’ in the United States in late 2015 – early 2016, where he was invited to deliver the President’s Lecture at MCAD Minneapolis and a Talk at Forecast Public Art. In 2017, he redefined a premium Mall space into a public art project as his ‘Excavated Museum in a Mall’ for River Yamuna, His ‘Rain’ premiered at the Sculpture Garden he conceptualized and created at his Collector’s House at Amrita Shergill Marg, later that year, from 2017 -2018. He went on to then punctuate 27 acres of IGNCA lawns in Lutyens’s Delhi with another magnum opus ‘arth – art for earth’, which had six of his large installations including the immersive ‘Rain, Rainforest and the Beehive Garden’ hosted by Ministry of Culture Govt of India in 2018. In 2019, he conceptualized and created a first of its kind public art museum project ‘Water the New Gold’ as a ‘city in a city’ at Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar, for sustainable development. 2020 saw him create an instant flash installation ‘A river connects us all’ at Cyber Hub in Gurugram. Most of his public art was extended by public demand, and fetched him critical acclaim, with many institutions, publications and Government bodies hailing him on record as ‘maverick genius’ ‘visionary’ and ‘one of India’s most erudite and versatile contemporary artists. Times of India and other publications summed up well in 2019 “To his credit, Manav has six most iconic and revolutionary art projects in India this decade’.
Sculpture Magazine underlines the essence of the artist’s installations, sculptures and public art – ‘Gupta’s art affirms the age-old sanctity of earth and clay, assembling everyday objects made by potters from across India to create huge installations that convey hope, passion, and the journey and transience of life. Using just a few types of functional items—the ‘diya’ lamp, the ‘kullad’ teacup and the ‘chilam’ smoking pipe—he creates contemporary yet timeless and powerful stories. Massed in their hundreds and thousands, these humble items gain new significance, as tradition reimagined makes an eloquent case for sustainable practices that respect the earth’s resources while transforming the familiar into something completely unconventional, unexpected, and magical.’
Some of his awards and felicitations include the Senior Fellowship by Govt. of India awarded to Outstanding persons in the field of Culture, Honorary Doctorate for Innovation in art for sustainability by the Mesopotamian Academy, Istanbul, Exceptional Leader of Excellence by WEF and the first ‘Sanatan Puraskar’ for Art in India awarded by the French ambassador.He has been invited to speak at many eminent forums conferences and institutions
In the earlier decade, he was invited by former President of India, Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, as first Artist-in-Residence at Rashtrapati Bhawan (President of India’s House) in 2003 and was commissioned by Dr.Kalam for a book of poems and paintings together, that was published by Penguin in 2005. He was the youngest to be nominated as the Expert Committee Member for National Republic Day Parade Celebrations. He started ‘arth – the art for earth movement in India as early as in 1997, to be recognized by CNN for commissioning him for his ‘Copenhagen Wall of Hope’ and the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India commissioning him for one of his early public art projects – to create one-minute films on environment in 2005 as public service messages. Building bridges beyond borders for world peace, harmony and sustainable living, he has created the ‘Bhutan India Friendship Mural’ commissioned by Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India, along with many art projects for other ministries and private institutions.
His works have been sold by Christie’s, Bonham’s, Philip de Pury with his works in several private, institutional, and public collections. He has been conceptualizing and creating art for climate action and sustainable living for more than two and half decades.
"on my eyot"
CV
Manav Gupta
b. 1967, India
Thirty Years
1996 - 2026
SOLO EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC ART & SPECIAL PROJECTS
2026
- Non Limiting Horizons , Umbilical Cords of Earth, Rainforests & the Timeless Metaphors of Dreams’ 20 ft height x 10 ft width canvases.
Permanent Collection, Worldmark, T3 International Airport Area, Aerocity, New Delhi, India
2025
- ‘Bringing Home’ – Time Machine- Hourglass, The Beehive Garden.
- Travelling Museum Lab Discourse, India – USA
2023 – 2024
- Contemporary Ceramics Museum Lab Project Discourse
New Delhi, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York London - Sculpture Conference 2023, ISC, Art House, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
- Rainforests & the lyrics of light Private Vernissage
Manhattan, New York , Fulham London, United Kingdom
2022
- Manav Gupta: Contemporary Miniatures & Rainforests
Private Vernissage Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai, UAE
2020
- Umbilical Cords of Air, Clay & Fire; Timeless Metaphors of Dreams
Worldmark, T3 International Airport Area, Aerocity, New Delhi, India - A River connects them all
Contemporary Ceramics Installation, Public Art Project
DLF Cyber Hub, NCR, India
Hosted by Outlook & Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India
2019
- Manav Gupta Public Notice : ‘WATER THE NEW GOLD’ | CITY IN A CITY
First of its kind Public Art Museum on Water and Sustainable Development with Construction Scrap. About 3/4th acre. Permanent Public art project on Water, Climate Change & Sustainability. Commissioned by SJEPL for NHAI, Government of India, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India - Manav Gupta: ‘The WATER PLEDGE’ Namami Gange, Public Outreach Project
Engagement with School students, Performance Art Concerts, Lectures, Talks New Delhi, India. Commissioned by GIZ, Germany & Ministry of Water Resource, Namami. Gange, Ganga Mission
2018
- Manav Gupta: ‘arth – art for earth’
First of its kind Travelling Lab of Excavated Museum of Clay
Public Art for Project for Climate Change & Sustainable Development.
A Suite of six seminal Installations transforming Ceramics Pottery into environmental art, in the artist’s take-over of 27 Acres. Hosted by IGNCA Ministry of Culture, Govt of India (Extended on Public Demand)
2017 – 2018
- Manav Gupta Public Notice : ‘PROSAIC CAN BE LUXURY’
Ceramic Sculpture Garden on ecology & environment. Inequalities & Luxury.
Half an Acre . A Private Studio Prototype of the Permanent Museum
Amrita Shergill Marg, New Delhi, India
2017
- Manav Gupta : Excavated Museum In A Mall – the Yamuna Project
Hailed As A ‘Solo Biennale’. Transforming ceramics to large Installations on Climate Change Punctuating across 14 Acres
Dialogues at the Waterfront and Public outreach programmes.
Hosted by DLF Mall of India, NCR, India (Extended on Public Demand)
2015 – 2016
- Manav Gupta : Ganga to Mississippi, Special Project
Travelling Museum Lab Discourse
Minneapolis College of Art & Design & Public Art Forecast, MN, USA, Indian Embassy New York, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn, Des Moines Art Centre, Des Moines, Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Miami - Private Vernissage, Paintings Manhattan, New York, USA
2015
- Manav Gupta : Rain, the Ganga Waterfront along Time Machine
60’ x 45’ x35 ‘Solo Public Art Project transforming ceramics. Multiple thought experiments. A structural shift in Indian contemporary art.
Hosted by India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India
(Extended on Public Demand) - Manav Gupta : River & the Fort 15’X15’X20’ transforming ceramics.
Old Fort Dance FestivaI commissioned by Delhi Government.
Engagement with Dance and Architecture.
2014
- Manav Gupta : Time Machine – the Hourglass
Transforming Ceramics
Permanent Collection, Worldmark, Aerocity - Manav Gupta : Message in a Bottle
Permanent Collection, Worldmark, Aerocity - Umbilical Cords of Earth
Twenty ft height x 10ft width Canvases
Permanent Collection, Worldmark, Aerocity
T3 IGI Airport Area, New Delhi, India
2013
- Museum Exhibition: Unsung Hymns of Clay, Rainforests & the Circle of life
Ganga | The Shrinking river on the Museum Floor
Earth – Umbra & Penumbra
Hosted by the Ditsong Museum of Natural History, Incredible India & the Indian High Commission of Pretoria, (Extended on Public Demand) - The Shrinking River & Earth, Lovell Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa & Grahamstown
- Special Commissioned Project : Pratham Charity Auction, Performance Art Concert( Jugalbandi), Live collaboration with musician Wajahat Khan. Pratham NGO, UK Kensington Palace, London, United Kingdom
2011 – 2012
- Excavations in Hymns of Clay – Invention Laboratory – Artist’s studio & offsite
A Suite of 6 Installations prototypes transforming ceramics into large scale contemporary environmental art
2010 – 2013
- Indo Bhutan Friendship Mega Mural | A suite of six 18 ft and 12 ft high canvasses.
Commissioned by the Ministry Of External Affairs, Govt Of India.
BIFA Museum, Phuentsholing, Bhutan.
2010
- Manav Gupta : Tree of Life
Quasi-Public Art Project involving thousands of employees to paint with the artist
11500 Sq. Ft. Three-Dimensional Indoor Staircase Mural. A World Record. Bharti Airtel Centre, Delhi NCR, India - ‘On my eyot, rainforests and the umbilical cords
Travelling Trilogy II, USA, UK, ASIA- ‘Ode to Turner, Tribute to Tagore’,
Nehru Centre, London, United Kingdom - ‘Rainforests’
Gallery A3, Amherst Massachusetts, USA - ‘Plant a sapling on my canvas’
Special Commissioned Project Workshop
Bank of India, New York USA - “on my eyot – rainforests and the umbilical cords”
Exhibition & Interdisciplinary Performance, Des Moines Social Club, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
‘Art Sustainability & Innovation’ Talk – San Jose State University,
San Jose | Exhibition San Jose, California, USA - ‘Lyrics of Light’
San Francisco, California, USA - On my eyot – rainforests and the timeless metaphors of dreams
Embassy of India, Tiergartenstraße, Berlin, Germany
- ‘Ode to Turner, Tribute to Tagore’,
2009
- ‘On my eyot, rainforests and the umbilical cords
Curtain Raiser Exhibition for Travelling Trilogy II’ to USA, Europe & UK
ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India, New Delhi, India - Special Commissioned Project: Copenhagen Wall of Hope
Copenhagen Wall of Hope, CNN IBN, New Delhi, India
2007
- Umbilical cords of earth, in the lyrics of light
Omani Fine Arts Society, Muscat, Oman
Travelling Trilogy I – London, UK, Muscat, Oman, New Delhi, India - Bonhams Charity Auction
Asia House, London, United Kingdom - Art & Hitachi
Special Commissioned Project: Hitachi Singapore,
Limited Edition TVs Launch, Singapore, New Delhi - Philip De Pury Charity Auction, Kensington Palace, London
2006
- Christies Charity Auction, British High Commission, New Delhi, India
- One minute environmental films
Film screenings & Public telecast on National TV Doordarshan etc
2005
- Shoonya ( Nothingness) – from Beyond
National Academy of Art (Lalit Kala Academy), New Delhi, India - The Life Tree, Collaborative Book of Poems & Paintings Project (2002-2005)
Poems by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Paintings by Manav Gupta | Book Launch. - Public Art Project: Environmental Films as Public Service Messages
Commissioned by Ministry of Forests & Environment, Govt of India
2004
- On my eyot Lyrics of Light
Victoria Jones Gallery, London, United Kingdom - Umbilical Cords of Earth & Shoonya (from beyond)
Exhibition of Paintings at Rashtrapati Bhawan, ‘Art as Learning Classroom’ Education Project for students on Climate Change | Rashtrapati Bhavan, Official Residence of the President of India, New Delhi, India
2003
- Rainforests – On my eyot | World Environment Day
‘Plant a Sapling on my Canvas’ – Exhibition & Public Art Project by artist – inviting people and children from all walks of life to paint with the artist and take a pledge for trees ‘Art as Learning Classroom’ Education Project for students on Climate Change. The Park Hotel, New Delhi - Special Residency – First Artist in Residence to stay and paint in the Family Wing at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Hon’ble President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Official Residence of the President of India, New Delhi, India
2002
- Sense Essence, Non Limiting horizons & Lyrics of Light on my eyot
Leela Palace, & Renaissance Gallery Bangalore, India - ‘Sparks’ Exhibition & Book Release
Collaboration with Poet Smt Shiela Gujral, Interpretation of Poems.
India International Centre, New Delhi - Special Commissioned Project: Business Leadership Awards as the artist’s paintings – To Kumar Mangalam Birla & K V Kamath ( Awardees) , Times of India & Amity Foundation, Mumbai, India
- Special Commissioned Project: Collaborative Book, Poems by Shiela Gujral, Paintings by Manav Gupta – India International Centre, New Delhi, India
2001
- Aqueous Dreams – Circle of Life
The Roosevelt House, U.S. Ambassador’s residence, New Delhi, India - Rainforests & Lyrics of Light
HRD Ministry, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, New Delhi, India
1999
- India Awaiting – Timeless Metaphors of Dreams
Taj Palace, New Delhi, India. - Rainforests & Five Elements VHAI Gallery
VHAI Gallery, New Delhi, India
- Intimate Whispers | Aqueous Dreams
- CRY – Child Relief and You
CRY Foundation, New Delhi, India
1997
- ‘Earth Series. Freedom of Expression | Seeing the Unseen
Contemporary Miniatures &, Haiku Sculptures
arth – art for earth, Ep. 1
Taj Bengal, Kolkata, India
1996
- The Foliage Garden – First Solo
Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
- Kensington Palace, London, UK
- Critical Futures — Asia House, London, UK
- India Art Fair, New Delhi, India
- Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi
- Lovell Gallery, Grahamstown, South Africa
- Art Expo (Mumbai), India
- Landscapes — India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
- Victoria Jones, London
- Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, India
- British High Commissioner’s Residence, New Delhi, India
- Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
- Bulgarian Embassy, India
- Finnish Embassy, India
- Italian Embassy, India
- Bajaj Art Capital Art Advisory Services, India
- Continuum, Habitat World inaugural show, India
- World Wildlife Fund of India, International Tolerance Day Initiative by United Nations, New Delhi, India
- Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore, India
- Leela Palace, Bangalore, India
- Studio for Contemporary Art, Montage Arts/Raro, India
- Uruswati Gallery, New Delhi, India
- Art Camp: Eminent Artists, VHAI & IHC: Delhi Artists for Gujarat, India
- Uruswati Art Gallery, Spring Show, India
- Art Today, Uruswati Art Gallery, India
- Annual Show, Art Today, Black & White Show, India
- Lalit Kala Academy: Leading Watercolorists; VHAI – Their Story: Indian Artists Interpretations, India
- Arushi Arts, New Delhi, India
- India Habitat Centre: Art & Cinema, New Delhi, India
- Art Junction, Inter-Continental Hotel, New Delhi, India
- Kala Melas, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, India
- Academy of Fine Arts, Annual Exhibitions, Kolkata, India
LECTURES · TALKS · INTERVIEWS
- 2025 Guest of Honour Lecture, Global Leadership Awards, New Delhi, India
- 2024 Jury Member, Annual All India Competition. Talk – Interaction with Students on Sustainable Development, JD Institute, India
- 2023 Talk at Annual International Sculpture Centre | New Jersey, USA
- 2022 Talk at Vernissage, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 2021 HORASIS, Panel Discussion India, Promoting India’s Artistic Inspiration beyond COVID, Horasis India Meeting, Co Powered by CII, India
- 2020 Interview: Artist Manav Gupta reflects on Covid-19 through his art, India Ahead
- 2020 Talk Apeejay School, (Online) India
- 2019 Interview: Guftagoo, Doordarshan, India
- 2018 Interview: World’s first ever travelling Museum for Contemporary Public Art, Punjab Kesari, India
- 2018 Annual Guest Lecture, LPU University, Punjab, India
- 2018 TEDx Talk The Shriram Millennium School Noida, UP, India
- 2018 Interview: ‘arth – art for earth’ by Manav Gupta, Times of India
- 2018 Interview: An interview with an eminent artist and thinker, Manav Gupta, Doordarshan, India
- 2018 Multiple talks at arth – events IGNCA, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, India
- 2018 Panel Talk, Brahma Kumari Centre, New Delhi, India
- 2018 Talk, Gyanshree School, New Delhi, India
- 2017 Talk – IGNCA, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, India
- 2017 Talk & Award , WEF, New Delhi, India
- 2016 Lecture Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, India
- 2015 The President’s Lecture, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Minnesota, USA
- 2015 Forecast Public Lecture, Minnesota, USA
- 2013 Talk, UNISA, Pretoria, South Africa
- 2013 Talk Panel National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
- 2013 Talk Lovell Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2013 Talk University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- 2011 TEDx Speaker Lingaya University, New Delhi, India
- 2010 Talk Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin, Germany
- 2010 Talk Nehru Centre, London, United Kingdom
- 2010 Talk San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
- 2010 Talk Des Moines, Iowa, USA
- 2010 Talk Bank of India, New York, USA
- 2007 Talk Bank Muscat, Muscat, Oman
- 2005 Talk Rashtrapati Bhavan | Exhibition – Manav Gupta, artist-led Curatorial Walks with School Children, India
- 2005 Talk Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India
- 2004 Talk & Interview ‘Mass Teacher’ School Students invited to India Habitat Centre, Workshop, India
- 2004 Talk Maruti Udyog Talk, Workshop, India
- 2003 Talk ‘Plant a Sapling on my Canvas’ Outreach Programme, Park Hotel, New Delhi, India
- 2002 Talk ‘Plant a Sapling on my Canvas’ Outreach Programme, Leela Palace, Bangalore, India
- 2000 Talk Panel Office of the Joint Secretary, HRD Ministry, Govt of India
- 1999 Talk ‘India Awaiting – Timeless Metaphors of Dreams’, Artist-led curatorial walk, Talk Taj Palace, New Delhi, India
- 1997 Talk ‘Freedom to be Different’, Artist-led curatorial walk, Taj Bengal, Kolkata, India
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2025
- Global Icon in Contemporary Art & Environmental Innovation, Global Leadership Awards, New Delhi
2024
- Maestro of art for Climate Change & Sustainability, TFA Awards, New Delhi
2021
- Doctor of Innovation in Fine Arts (Honoris Causa), Beyt Nahrin Mesopotamian Academy of Arts & Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
2019
- Senior Fellowship Award – Outstanding Persons in the fields of Culture (Visual Arts), Ministry of Culture, Government of India
2019
- Credited with creating ‘six of the most revolutionary and iconic art projects in India’ for the Decade of 2010–2019, Times of India
2018
- Invited on Advisory role by UAE Govt as Eminent Artist
2018
- Ambassador of India’s Soft Power, Indian Diplomacy, Ministry of External Affairs, India
2017
- Exceptional Leader of Excellence, WEF (Women’s Economic Forum), New Delhi, India
2013
- Limca Book of Records: The Tree of Life – Tallest and Largest Indoor Staircase Mural
2013
- Limca Book of Records: Pioneer of Performance Art in India since 2002
2013
- Limca Book of Records: First One Minute Films on Environment Consciousness as Public Art Projects
2012
- Limca Book of Records: National Record – The Tree of Life Mural, designated as Museum Site
2006
- Sanatan Kalakariti Puraskar, Presented by the French Ambassador to India
2005
- First Artist commissioned to create One Minute Films as PSAs on Climate Change, Sustainability & Biodiversity, Ministry of Environments & Forests, Government of India
2003
- First Artist in Residence at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Hon’ble President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
2002
- Youngest Expert Committee Member, Republic Day Parade, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
2002
- Formative Advisory Committee Member, Museum of Natural History, Government of India
PUBLIC & PRIVATE AUCTIONS
- 2024 — Private Online Auction
- 2017 — Water Health Charity Auction, United States
- 2010 — Philips De Pury, London, UK
- 2010 — Christies, London, UK
- 2008 — Bonhams, London, UK
- 2007 — Bonhams, London, UK
- 2006 — Christies, New Delhi, India
PUBLIC, PRIVATE & INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS
- Parliament of India, New Delhi, Government of India
- Rashtrapati Bhawan, Official Residence of the President of India, New Delhi, India
- Royal Family, Oman
- His Highness the King of Bhutan
- BIFA Museum – Indo-Bhutan Friendship Mural, Phuentsholing, Bhutan
- Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, New Delhi, India
- Worldmark, Aerocity, T3 International Airport Area, New Delhi, India
- Apeejay Stya Education Research Foundation, Dubai, UAE
- Amity Foundation, India
- NHAI, Government of India, Bhubaneswar, India
- World Record Mural – ‘Tree of Life’, Airtel Campus, Gurgaon, India (designated as an art museum site by Limca Book of Records)
- Jindal Flag Foundation, New Delhi, India
- Bausch and Lomb, India
- Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore, India
- Roosevelt House, New Delhi, India
- Park Hotel, Kolkata, India
- Modi Telstra, India
- The Kenilworth Hotel
- HHI, Kolkata, India
- Birla Academy of Art, Kolkata, India
- Bharti Airtel, India
- Hitachi, Singapore
- Du Pont, India
- Shri B. K. Birla & Sarala Birla, India
- Bahwan Engineering Group (BEC), Oman
- Khimji Ramdas LLC, Oman
- Saud Bahwan Group, Oman
- Al Ansari Group, Oman
- Facet Books, New York, USA
- Dabur
- E Bookers, London
ART COMMISSIONS | SPONSORS
- Hon’ble President of India, Rashtrapati Bhawan
- Ministry of Culture, Govt of India
- Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India
- Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Govt of India
- Namami Gange, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Govt of India
- National Museum of Natural History Pretoria, South Africa
- Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Govt of India
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India
- Consulate General of India, New York, United States of America
- High Commission of India, South Africa
- Embassy of India, Berlin, Germany
- Nehru Centre, London, United Kingdom
- Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
- Amity Foundation, India
- The Omani Society for Fine Arts, Muscat Oman
- Pepsi
- Bharti Airtel
- Hitachi, Singapore
- Reckitt Benckiser
- Bausch and Lomb
- Maxim
- Pratham UK
- Du Pont
- Shri B. K. Birla & Sarala Birla
- Bahwan Engineering Group (BEC), Oman,
- Khimji Ramdas LLC, Oman,
- Saud Bahwan Group,
- Al Ansari Group,
- Suhail Bahwan Group, Oman,
- DLF
- Tata Group
- The Times Group
- Facet Books, New York
- Crompton Greaves
- Reebok
- Peerless Group
- Kribhco
- Vardhaman Group
- Electrolux
- SJEPL
- Motorola
- Philips
- Gujrat Ambuja
- The Park Hotel
- The Leela Palace, Bangalore
- Taj Group of Hotels
- The Kenilworth Hotel
- Bank of India, New York
- HSBC
- ICI
- Bank Muscat
- HDFC
- Allahabad Bank
- Nicco Group
- Maruti Udyog Limited
- Eveready
- ITC Limited
Artist's Statement:
“as I scrape
the bottom of the soul
for some ingredients
the only way I can explain to myself,
about what it all is,
is to believe
that in some past life (if there is one)
I belonged to the rainforests.
The mantra there, for survival,
is to submit to the natural forces,
bow before it, respect its ways,
learn and grow.
You cannot defy it or go against it.
In the rainforests
there are labyrinthine dark nesses
weaving around you
but there is always light
in streaks, in a glow, in a stream, sunlight….
all of which brings HOPE.
You don’t bathe in it all the time but it
seeks you out.
Man is but a speck .
The human race, still a speck,
in this mighty Universe
rich with millions of secrets.
The rainforests teach you this.
When I paint or sculpt, all this translates
on my canvas.
I – the medium.
Hence,
the lyrics of light,
apostrophe of white,
perception – sight, insight;
Rainforests and the romance of colors,
Earth. Water, Clay and the Universe.
Then – this world loses its meanings.
The larger one takes over
And I create.”
manavgupta©1996-present
Just after his first solo in the spring of 1996, he wrote his artist’s statement, dipping his pen, just like his brush, deep into the labyrinthine crevices of light and shadows within the rainforests. Light for him, became ’hope’ and the colours – the all-encompassing landscape of earth. He revisits his artist statement every year as an annual ritual to fine-comb its core, and it has stayed with him for all of these twenty six years.
