artist profile
Atul Dodiya
born
1959
lives and works
Mumbai, India
education
BFA, Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, India, 1982
École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1991–92
about the artist
Throughout his career, Atul Dodiya has been piecing together compositions using fragments from his life as well as his nation’s sociology, its high and low culture, and its emblematic hero, Gandhi. Gradually, the artist has also introduced allusions to Western modern and contemporary art into his canvasses and assemblages through juxtaposition and appropriation. Dodiya’s fascination with Western art history was reinforced during the time he spent in Paris between 1991 and 1992 after his undergraduate training, a result of a scholarship awarded to him by the French government. A forefather of Indian contemporary art, Dodiya has proved to be a definitive and resounding influence on the younger generations that have emerged in recent years. In recognition of his contributions and achievements, he received the Sanskriti Award and the Raza Award in his home country. His work has also been included in many international exhibitions featuring contemporary Indian art. Solo shows have been held at the Japan Foundation Asia Center in Tokyo, Japan; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain; and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute in Singapore. He was also featured in the inaugural exhibition of Roundabout held at the City Gallery Wellington in New Zealand in 2010.