An artist with a repository of ideas ahead of time.

The decade of 2000 - 2009 saw the artist being firmly recognised as a pioneer of art for environment consciousness, climate change and sustainability in India, with his unique first of their kind thought experiments and innovative projects creating a movement of art for earth.

As also a pioneer of taking art beyond art amidst unconventional spaces with hitherto unexplored ideas.

His distinctive interdisciplinary practice with poetry, music, dance, science, and other streams along with education outreach programmes for students and unique co-creations and collaborations, with multiple disciplines were ahead of their time in India.

The above charting of new territories by the artist went on to be adopted extensively in the Indian contemporary art landscape in the following decades.

2009

Exhibition:

On my eyot - rainforests & the Umbilical Cords

ICCR, New Delhi

Cosmic Design

Oil on Canvas
8' x 4'

Artist Monographs Published by ICCR

Hosted by ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India

Azad Bhawan Gallery, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, India 110001

Exhibition on climate change. beyond boundaries.

On the occasion of Copenhagen Summit

Curtain Raiser For Travelling Trilogy – U.S, Europe & U.K, 2010

"Let us stop a while...

while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…

I want to drive home the message that we have to go beyond Copenhagen, beyond drawing room politics and sensitise ourselves, and try and make a change on an individual level. The change needs to be from within us otherwise the generations to come will suffer"

- Manav Gupta

"Beyond Politics, Beyond Copenhagen, For Our Children" – Treatise by the artist, published on the occasion of the artist's Travelling trilogy, Lectures and Films on Sustainable development (2009 -2010)

Public Art Projects:

art

taking art
beyond art

thought
experiments & new layers of creations

Artist's film screening & television broadcast

One minute & 30 Second Short films commissioned by Ministry of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India at the Copenhagen Summit and on Indian television.

Copenhagen Wall of Hope

CNN IBN commissioned the artist on the occasion of Copenhagen summit to create a painting where they serialised the artists depiction of destruction caused by human intervention in nature.

2007

Exhibition:

Travelling Trilogy of Interdisciplinary Practices, Environmental Films Telecast and Public Exhibition - Muscat, Oman

Intimate Whispers in the Rainforests

Watercolour on Paper
8' x 4'

Hosted by Omani Fine Arts Society, Grand Hyatt, Muscat, Oman

112 Ruwi Saltanate of Oman, Saltanate of Oman, 4008

Exhibition: Travelling Trilogy Edition 1

"Let us stop a while...
while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…

I want to drive home the message that we have to go beyond Copenhagen, beyond drawing room politics and sensitise ourselves, and try and make a change on an individual level. The change needs to be from within us otherwise the generations to come will suffer"

Auctions & Public Art Projects

Bonhams Charity Auction, London, United Kingdom | Hitachi Singapore

Hitachi Singapore : Limited Edition Screens featuring Manav Gupta's Paintings.

art

taking art
beyond art

2006

Commissioned by Ministry of Forest & Environment, Govt of India

One Minute & 30 Second Films on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Sustainability and Environment Consciousness as Public Service Messages | Performance Art Concert | Sanatan Kalakriti Award

2005

Exhibition:

Shoonya - from Beyond

Hosted by the Lalit Kala Academy (National Academy of Art, India)

35, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-110001

Shoonya - from beyond

Watercolour on Paper
5' x 4'

Thought Experiments & Education Outreach - art for earth – at the Exhibition, The Green Thumb Pledge, Published Documenta, 'Stop a While...'

art

taking art
beyond art

thought
experiments & new layers of creations

conceptualised, led, created by Manav Gupta at the installations

"I Pledge 10000 of my students to you"
Shyama Chona, Principal, DPS R. K Puram

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

2003 - 2004

Exhibition:

Umbilical Cords of Earth & the Circle of Life

The Park Hotel, New Delhi | Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, India

Victoria Jones Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Umbilical Cords of Earth - Dance of Salvation

Watercolour on Paper
5' x 3'

Plant a Sapling on my Canvas - Edition I,

Permanent Collection, Bharti Airtel

Exhibition on Environment Consciousness, Umbilical cords of Earth, Shoonya from Beyond

"Let us stop a while...
while doing what we are doing, and begin to change what we can change…

- Manav Gupta

"Beyond Politics, Beyond Copenhagen, For Our Children" – Treatise by the artist, published on the occasion of the artist's Travelling trilogy, Lectures and Films on Sustainable development (2009 -2010)

Public Art Projects

Plant a Sapling on my Canvas - Edition I,

First Artist to be invited for Residency – Interdisciplinary Practices of Painting and Poetry | The Life Tree | First Artist in Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India

A Three Year collaboration of creating a book of poems by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and mirroring paintings by Manav Gupta | The Life Tree | Published by Penguin

The Life Tree

A Three Year collaboration of creating a book of poems by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and mirroring paintings by Manav Gupta | The Life Tree | Published by Penguin

First Artist in Residence

First Artist in Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Invited by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India

Education Outreach

Engagement with School Children on Art & Science & Culture

2002

Exhibition:

Sense to Essence, Pratirupa Pururpa

Hostel by the Leela Palace, Bangalore, Karanata, Indiaka

non limiting horizons 8

Watercolour on Paper, 19 inches x 28 inches

Sense to Essence, Pratirupa Pururpa Leela Palace, Bangalore, India June 7 - June 28, 2002

Hostel by the Leela Palace, Bangalore, Karanata, Indiaka

Sparks - Book of Poems & Paintings | Business Leadership Awards | 'Jugalbandi' - Pioneering Performance Art in India

Business Leadership Awards to Kumar Mangalam Birla and K. V Kamath | Sparks, a book by Smt Shiela Gujral, former First Lady to former Prime Minister of India, Dr I. K Gujral | Jugalbandi, a performance art concert in India, with Shubha Mudgal

2001

Exhibition:

Roosevelt House

Hosted by the United States Ambassador to India

Umbilical Cords of Earth

Watercolour on Paper, 5' x 4'

United States of America, United States Embassy, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India 110021

Ministry of Culture

Hosted by Ministry of Culture

Department of Culture, Govt of India

1996 - 1999

"He Is Different"

OUTLOOK

"Exuberant and Reflective. The artist has a fine sense of colour"

Art Critic, Economic Times

"Manav is creative in more ways than one. He is at home with different mediums- from water colour to oil, from roots of trees to wood pulp... The paintings devoid of lines whatsoever are glimpses of nature’s different moods. And there is yet another tool of expression. Manav is a poet. Each of his work ( be it painting or sculpture) is accompanied by a poem. Manav the poet and Manav the artist marry easily to create forms and shades. But it is difficult to tell which is conceived first- the poetry or the painting. "

THE STATESMAN

"Earth tones dominate the works of Manav Gupta"

THE STATESMAN

"Different Strokes – Why Manav Gupta is an artist with a difference."

Times of India

1999

Exhibition:

India Awaiting -Timeless Metaphors of Dreams

Hosted by the Taj Palace, New Delhi​

Element Fire

Watercolour on Paper, 28 inches x 21 inches

Published Monographs

Taj Palace,, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India 110021

Earth Series, Founding arth, nature as a laboratory, contemporary miniatures, 'seeing the unseen', 'freedom to be different'

Hosted by the Taj Bengal, Kolkata

Belvedere Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 700027

1996

Open Public Art Exhibition of Paintings | Birla Academy of Fine Arts

Hosted by the Birla Academy of Fine Artsl, Kolkata

Southern Ave, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 700029

"Watercolours that stir your soul"

Cosmopolitan

"Passion that's patently obvious"

Indian Express

"Gupta is one of the few leading young painters today whose dexterity in exploring light and colour, with the most sensitive and delicate stroke-play, has fetched him critical acclaim"

Times of Oman

"Mass Teacher - For artist Manav Gupta, art is about engaging with people"

The Pioneer

All his landscapes, portraits and abstracts even, are dreamy, fluid, almost honeyed. The use of colours is excellent, the paintings all interestingly titled, give definite direction to the spectators’ interpretation. Although far from radical, the work shows individuality.

First City