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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 val...
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.
BIODATA
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