Ajay Chakradhar

Ajay Chakradhar, a self- taught artist from Jharkhand has been in this field for the past twenty years. His specialty is abstract art. But he gives them an innovative twist with a mix of minerals and ores of iron, manganese, coal, bauxite, mica and acrylics to create them. The rough and coarse texture of the minerals and its muted earthy colours give a dimensional effect to the painted surface. Natural chrome, cadmium, haematite, manganese, ochre and kaolin with wooden dust, coir, ash and earth dust are also used in his paintings.


In 1992, he moved to Bombay and established himself as a practicing artist. From the beginning of his artistic journey the Chotanagpur Plateau, its mines, fields and the hillocks of minerals inspired him to produce abstract and mind-born forms of his native land. His works basically depict the landscape of Jharkhand before and after the large-scale mining and its impact: natural and man-made. During his frequent visits to the mining areas he surveyed and documented the Prehistoric rock paintings of Jharkhand and utilized the ancient and remote motifs in his contemporary imagination. Presently, he is associated with Bulu Imam’s Sanskriti. He is also a member of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

"The dimensions of a possibility can be limited- that it would start from one point and end at another. But art is one process that has a beginning but no end. And the possibilities of finding something new could be endless. And I feel the same about my work. I think that I can spend my entire life exploring new possibilities in my paintings." These words that Ajay Chakradhar uses to explain the importance of innovation in art speaks volumes about the philosophy behind his work.

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Accounting
Ranchi University
1985 - 1989

Solo Exhibitions

• 2014 SUKMA – I am still alive, LALIT KALA AKADEMI, New Delhi.

• 2013 REJUVENATION OF EARTHEN COLOURS, India International Centre, Art Annexe, New Delhi,

• 2007 INDIAN ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Amritsar,

• 2005 GREEN STROKES Art Gallery, Thane, Mumbai,

• 2002 GREEN STROKES Art Gallery, Thane, Mumbai,



Group Exhibitions

• 2014 All India Fine Arts And Craft Society, New Delhi.

• 2014 All India Fine Arts And Craft Society, Art Camp, New Delhi.

• 2013 NIV SATurday the last, NIV Art Centre, New Delhi,

• 2012 United Art Fair, New Delhi,

• 2012 Experience, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi,

• 2012 Evanescence, The Viewing Room, Mumbai,

• 2012 Dialectic between absence and presence, AIFACS,New Delhi.

• 2011 Art and living art camp at BANGALORE

• 2010 8th National Festival & Art camp, at Aizawl (Mizoram), by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi,

• 2010 Annual Art Exhibition by Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad,

• 2010 Artist Residency at Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad

• 2010 Annual Art Exhibition at AIFACS, New Delhi,

• 2009 JUNIOR ART CAMP BY AIFACS, New Delhi, December.

• 2009 COLOUR OF INDIA ART CAMP, org. by ITDC & SPCH at Lalitha Mahal palace, Mysore.

• 2009 LYRICAL ABSTRACTION, by AABHA at AIFACS, New Delhi.

• 2009 JUNIOR ART CAMP BY AIFACS, New Delhi, March.

• 2009 ART CAMP & EXHIBITION organized by AABHA at Bhubaneswar.

• 2008 GREESHMAM Art Camp at Hotel Samrat organized by ITDC, New Delhi, & SPCH,Trivandrum.

• 2008 GROUP EXHIBITION, AABHA Art Foundation at AIFACS, New Delhi.

• 2008 UNDER-ONE Ati Art Gallery, New Delhi.

• 2007 BLACK & WHITE Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai.

• 2007 79th Annual All India Art Exhibition, AIFACS ,New Delhi.

• 2007 73rd Annual All India Art Exhibition, Amritsar.

• 2007 CAMLIN ART FOUNDATION, College of art , Chandigarh.

• 2007 DESIGNER for Fashion Designer Drasha, India Fashion Week, New Delhi.

• 2007 ART CAMP, Dehradun, Org. by the Art Mall, New Delhi.

• 2006 49th NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

• 2006 72nd Annual All India Art Exhibition and Award, IAFA, Amritsar.

• 2006 78th Annual All India Art Exhibition and Award , AIFACS, New Delhi.

• 2006 ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION , Lokayata Mulk Raj Anand Center, New Delhi.

• 2004 PAINTING COMPETITION ORGANISED for N.S.S. VOLUNTARY on Republic Day at Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.

• 2002 TWO-MAN SHOW, Art Plaza Gallery, Mumbai.

• 1999 IMAGE INDIA Art Gallery, New Delhi.

• 1998 IMAGE INDIA Art Gallery, New Delhi.

• 1997 IMAGE INDIA Art Gallery, New Delhi.

• 1997 HASAS,organized by RAD GROUP,Kolkata.

Achievements

• 2006 AWARDED by All India Fine Art & Craft Society, New Delhi.

• 2006 AWARDED by The Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar.


Media

• 2013 Hindustan Times, Article on Ironical Art.

• 2013 Hindustan Times.

• 2013 Jansatta, Hindi News Paper.

• 2008 Covered by Marie Claire, February.

• 2008 Covered by Vogue Spring Summer Collection.

• 2007 Covered by Vogue, December.

• 2007 Paintings used for all print designs, in 79th Annual All India Art Exhibition, AIFACS, New Delhi.