Anju Dodiya

The ‘self’ is at the center of Anju’s works, though she initially resisted the lure of self-portraiture. Her art remains rooted in the figurative and all elements within her paintings are charged with an emotional value. Anju has created a niche for herself while exploring various possibilities within it.

Anju’s self keeps recurring in the changing pictorial contexts. These are, on one hand, inward looking investigations but they are not narcissist in any sense. There is a keen sense of self-awareness and introspection, and at the same time these works compel the viewer to unravel the untold stories and ambiguous frames. She continually creates her own legend as though she were a fictional character caught in bizarre but lyrical narrative, a self-disruptive autobiography.

Her watercolors are her take on the heroic, romantic representation of the self and self-discovery. There is something vulnerable in her works as stringent violence is inflicted on her mind and her art, for example, the dagger piercing the heart, women in despair, swords pointing towards figures present in the painting, and so on. Anju’s paintings start a process of moving beyond the narrow self and towards a larger self.

1986 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Sir J.J School of Arts, Mumbai

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 'Face-off (After Kuniyoshi)', Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris

2010 'Necklace of Echoes', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

2008 'All Night I Shall Gallop', Bodhi Art, Singapore, Mumbai, New York

2008 'All Night I Shall Gallop', Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI), Singapore

2007 ‘The Throne of Frost’, Bodhi Art, Mumbai

2007 ‘The Throne of Frost’, Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Baroda

2006 'Recent Works by Anju Dodiya', Bose Pacia, New York

2005 'The Cloud Hunt', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

2001, 96, 91 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai

1999 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

1999 Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai



GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012 'A Further Global Encounter', Grosvenor Vadehra, London

2012 'Terrestial Bodies', 1 x 1 Art Gallery, Dubai

2011 'Natural Bodies, Subverted Canons', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

2010 'Looking Glass: The Existence of Difference', Twenty Indian Contemporary Artists presented by Religare Arts Initiative, New Delhi in collaboration with American Centre; British Council; Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi

2010 'Changing Skin', presented by The Fine art Company at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai

2009 'India: Take Three', Kings Road Gallery, Chelsea

2009 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London

2008 'Material/Im-mmaterial', Gallery Collection, Bodhi Art, Gurgaon

2008 ‘Everywhere Is War (and Rumors of War)’, Bodhi Art, Mumbai

2008 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

2008 'Of Personal Narratives And Journeys', Bodhi Art, Gurgaon

2007 ‘Here and Now : Young Voices from India’, Grosvenor Vadehra, London

2006 ‘A Work of Art- A Work on Paper- 35th Anniversary Show’, organized by Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai

2005 ‘Bhupen Among Friends’, A tribute to Bhupen Khakhar by friends, organized by Gallery Chemould at Museum Gallery, Mumbai

2005 ‘Endless Terrain’, supported by Interiors Espania, Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Galleries, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi

2005 ‘Angkor - The Silent Centuries’, Bodhi Art, New Delhi, Singapore

2004 ‘Face-to-Face’, 19th Century to Contemporary Portraiture, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2004 ‘The Search’, Paintings from National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai at Omni Society for Fine Arts, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

2004 ‘Stree’, Bodhi Art, Singapore

2004 ‘Red’, Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi

2004 ‘Interlude in Sri Lanka’, The Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai

2004 ‘After Dark’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai

2004 ‘A Tribute to Bhupen Khakhar’, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai

2003 ‘Crossing Generations: Diverge’, an exhibition spanning four generations of Indian artists, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Mumbai

2003 ’Portraits of a Decade’, 10th anniversary show, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA) Gallery, Kolkata

2003 ‘Inside the Whale’, Gasser and Grunert Inc., New York

2002 ‘Real in Realism’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

2002 ‘Brahma to Bapu - icons and symbols in Indian art’, organized by Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

2002 ’Transfiguration’, India Habitat Gallery, New Delhi

2002 ‘Leela’, Artists response to Haridwar, with Amit Ambalal, Atul Dodiya, Bhupen Khakhar, Gallery Espace, New Delhi

2001 ‘The Bodied Self’, Sans Tache Gallery, Mumbai

2001 ‘In Conversation - sketchbooks and works on paper, Gallery Espace, New Delhi

2001 ‘ARS 01, Unfolding Perspectives’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland

2000 ‘Transpositions’, with Nalini Malani and Gulammohammed Sheikh, Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai

2000 ‘Once Upon a Time’, Story/Image show, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai

2000 ‘Mumbai Magazine Show’, Artist’s Choice section, selected by Akbar Padamsee, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai

2000 ‘Family Resemblance’, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai

2000 ‘Embarkations,’ Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai

2000 ‘Celebration of the Human Image’, Gallery 42, New Delhi

2000 ‘Art in the World 2000’, organized by Beaux Art magazine, Paris, representing ‘The Art News Magazine, India'

2000 ‘A Global View – Indian Artists at Home in the World’, sponsored by ‘The Fine Art Resource’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1999 ‘Watermark’, watercolor show organized by the Fine Art Resource, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1999 ‘Two for Two Thousand’, Art Today, New Delhi

1999 ‘Legatee- Sir J.J. School of Art’, The Fine Art Company, Mumbai

1999 ‘Icons of the Millennium’, organized by Lakeeren Gallery, Nehru Centre, Mumbai

1998 ‘The Looking Glass Self’, Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai

1998 ‘Indian Contemporary Art’, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1998 ‘Contemporary Indian Art,’ The Sotheby’s Show, Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, Mumbai

1998 ‘Artists for a sustainable World’, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai

1998 ‘A Collector’s Eye’, Jehangir Nicholson Collection, National Gallery of Modern Art ( NGMA) Mumbai, New Delhi

1997 ‘Gift for India’, organized by SAHMAT, Lalit Kala Academy Galleries, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi

1997 ‘50 Years of Freedom of Expression’, organized by RPG Enterprises, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

1996 ‘Indian Contemporary Art, Post Independence’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery

1996 ‘Cinemascape- An artists' Tribute to 100 years of Cinema’, Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai

1995 ‘Portraits’, Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai, Bangalore

1995 ‘Recent Trends in Contemporary Indian Art’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

1994 ‘Art for Cry’, Mumbai, New Delhi

1993 ‘In Small Format’, Works on Paper, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai

1990 ‘Works on Paper’, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai


PARTICIPATIONS

2012 'Art for Humanity', Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai

2012 ‘To Let the World In: Narrative and Beyond in Contemporary Indian Art’, as part of Art Chennai, Edition II at Lalit Kala Regional Centre, Chennai

2011 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose

2011 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi

2011 'The Intuitive: Logic Revisted', from the Osians Collection at The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland

2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', represented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games

2010 'Summer Show 2010', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata

2009 'India Xianzai: Contemporary Indian Art', Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Shanghai

2009 53rd Venice Biennale, Italy

2008 'Art Beijing 2008', Beijing represented by Bodhi Art

2008 'New Narratives: Contemporary Art from India', Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, New Jersey and Salina Art Center, Kansas, USA

2007 ‘Tiger by the Tail ! Women Artists of India Transforming Culture’, Woman’s Studies Research Centre (WSRC), Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA in partnership with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi

2007 Art Chicago, represented by Bodhi Art, New York

2007 ‘New Narratives : Contemporary Art from India’, Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago

2006, 2000 ‘Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai

1997 ‘50 Years of Art in Mumbai, 1947-1997’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai

1986 ‘Monsoon Show’, organized by Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

2007 ‘Zee Astitva Award’, presented by Archana Trust Suburban with Zee TV

2001 Indo-American society’s ‘Young Achiever Award’

2000, 1998 Nominated for the `Sotheby’s Prize’ for Contemporary Art

1999 ‘Harmony Award’ presented by Reliance Industries, Mumbai