Profile / Rajan Krishnan ( Born in 1967, Kerala, S. India ) After completing his MFA in painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University, Baroda, Rajan Krishnan made a conscious decision to return to his natal state of Kerala to further hone his painterly practice. Krishnan’s work bears a direct connection to his locality and his canvasses often reveal an intense interest in the dialogical possibilities of painting. In keeping with this, for nearly a decade, he has actively explored the relationships between history and memory, the natural and the human-made environment, and the collective and the individual. His post-apocalyptic canvases of 2006-2009 tended to cloak decayed landscapes and fragmented land forms in an earthy palette to create visual cautionary tales about the dangers of unbridled development but, since 2010, he has abandoned the sombre in favour of the spectacular. Although his recent work continues to explore dualistic possibilities, he has now set his sight upon pitting the general against the specific in mammoth-scale studies of singular objects. Defying the typical methodologies of large scale paintings in which the broad strokes of the brush typically efface the finer details, Krishnan holds tight to the discrete elements, as a means by which to call into question both the logic of vision and our understanding of large scale representational practices.

To date his major shows include ANCESTRY, Aicon Gallery, New York (2011), THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK : INDIAN ART TODAY, Saatchi Gallery, London (2010), THE SILK ROAD, New Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern Art, from the Saatchi Gallery London, at Lille3000, France (2010), ORE / SUBSTANCES OF EARTH – I, Bodhi Space, Mumbai (2008), RE-VISIT, OED Basement, Kochi (2008), MEMOIR, Bodhi Art, New York (2007), INDIA MAXIMUM CITY, Galerie Helene Lamarque, Paris (2007), EMBRYO, Bodhi Art Singapore (2006), ENROUTE, Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai (2006), LITTLE BLACK DRAWINGS, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi (2004) besides many group shows and art fairs in India and abroad. He has curated MAKING ART – LET IT HAPPEN (2009)  and  EARTH (2010). Krishnan lives and works in Kochi.

 Detailed Profile

Rajan Krishnan

1967 – Born in Kerala.

1989 – Completed B.A.Economics from Calicut University, Kerala.

1994 – BFA Painting from Govt. College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram.

1996 – M.F.A Painting from Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda.

 Solo shows

2011 – Ancestry, Aicon Gallery, New York

2009 – Four Paintings, Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai.

2008 – RE-VISIT, OED Basement, Kochi.

2008 – Ore / Substances of Earth-I, Bodhi Space, Mumbai.

2007 – Memoir, Bodhi Art, New York.

2006 – Art Singapore 2006, Bodhi Art , Singapore.

2006 – Enroute, Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai.

2004 – Little Black Drawings, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi.

Art fairs

2015 – Vadfest, Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda.

2015 –  India Art Fair, Gallery Ragini, Delhi.

2014 – Busan Art Fair,Gallery1000A, Korea

2014 – India Art Fair, Aicon Gallery, New York.

2014 – Art Stage Singapore, Aicon Gallery, New York.

2014 – BRAFA, J.Bastien Art, Brussels, Belgium.

2013 – Art Dubai. Aicon Gallery, New York.

2013–  India Art Fair, Gallery OED, Kochi

2012 – Art Hamptons, Aicon Gallery, New York.

2012 – Art Dubai. Aicon Gallery, New York.

2012 – Art Chennai, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2012 –  India Art Fair, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2011 – Art Chennai, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2011 – Art Dubai. Aicon Gallery, London.

2011 – India Art Summit, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2008 – Hong Kong Art Fair, Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai.

2008 – Art Chicago, Bodhi Art.

2008 – Art Cologne, Italy, Bodhi Art.

2007 – Gulf Art Fair, Dubai, Bodhi Art.

2006 – Art Singapore, (solo project) Bodhi Art , Singapore.

Curated Shows

2010 – Earth , Gallery OED, Kochi and Indigo and Labernum Galleries, Chennai.

Artists: Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Sudhir Patwardhan, N N Rimzon, Rajan Krishnan and Sujith S N.

2009 – Let It Happen, OED, Kochi.  Artists: N N Rimzon, Reghunadhan K, and              Rajan Krishnan.

Videos  

A Short Passage of Fire (2008)

The Teacher of Incongruous Lessons (2011)

Sermon (2012)

Shows

 2015 – OED Show 2015, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2015 – Reviving the Retinal, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2014 – The Contemporary Walk III, Gallery Ragini, New Delhi.

2013 – Arrival & Dipartures : The Story of Indian Modern Art, San Francisco, by Aicon Gallery, New York.

2013 – In the Colours of India, J.Bastien Art, Brussels, Belgium.

2013 – Revisit, at the Lalitha Kala Akademy, Thrissur by Gallery OED, Kochi.

2013 – It Matters, Seher, India International  Centre, New Delhi.

2013 – Quad, curated by Niten Mehta,Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

2013 – Remaking the Modern, London Summer Exhibition, Aicon Gallery, New York.

2013 – Up to the Nines, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2013 – Card-O-Logy, Curated by Jasmine Shah Varma, Samsara Art, Mumbai.

2013 – Between Darkness & Magic, CIMA Gallery at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

2012 – The Embebd Landscape, Religare Art Galley, Delhi.

2012 – Between Darkness & Magic, CIMA Gallery Kolkata.

2012 – Concrescence, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2012 – Big is Small, miniature art show, curated by Anoop Kamath, Durbar Hall Art Centre, Kochi.

2012 – 1341 AD, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2012 – Art for Humanity, curated by Pranali Daundker, in aid of citizens for justice and peace, Mumbai.

2012 – Adbhutam, Rasa in Indian Art, CIMA Gallery at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

2011 – Video Wednesday II, curated by Gayatri Sinha, Gallery Espace, Delhi

2011 – Lateral Insertions, Gallery Bluespade, Bangalore.

2011 – Palimpses, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2011 – Adbhutam, Rasa in Indian Art, CIMA Gallery, Kolkata.

2011 – Reprise, Aicon Gallery New York.

2011 – Masterpieces of Indian Art, Aicon Gallery, North Carolina.

2011 – The Big Picture, curated by Abhishek Poddar for IFA,Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.

2011 – Turn of the Tide, Tangerine Art space, Bangalore.

2011 – Space-Untitled, David Hall, Kochi.

2011 – At Walden Pond, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2010 – The Silk Road,  works by Chinese, Indian, Iranian, Palestinian, Lebanese,

Egyptian, Afghan and Pakistani artists, Saatchi Gallery in Lille (Lille 3000), France.

2010 – Earth , Gallery OED at Indigo and Labernum Galleries, Chennai.

2010 – Earth , Gallery OED, Kochi.

2010 – Alt+Refresh, Pigment Art, Delhi.

2010 – Who has seen Gandhi,  Tangerine Art Space, Bangalore.

2010 – Creating  CommonWealth, Gallery Ragini, Delhi.

2010 – Nature Revisited, curated by Jayashree Chakravarty and Anirudh Chari, Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata.

2010 – The Empire Strikes Back : Indian Art Today, Saatchi Gallery, London.

2009 – Vicissitudes of the Constructed Images, curated by Suruchi Khubchandani,

Tangerine Art Space, Bangalore.

2009 – Evidentia, Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.

2009 – RE-CLAIM / RE-CITE / RE-CYCLE, Latitude 28, New Delhi & Bose Pacia, Kolkata, curated by Bhavana Kakar.

2009 – Group Show, Threshold Art Gallery, New Delhi.

2009 – Group Show, Gallery Kolkata, Kolkata.

2009 – Group Show, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2009 – Group Show, Triva Contemporary, Thiruvananthapuram.

2009 – Facets of A People, curated by Oindrila Maity, Gallery OED, Kochi.

2009 – Metamorphosis – Change and Continuity in Indian Contemporary Art, Phyllis Weston Annie Bolling Gallery, Cincinnati, USA.

2008 – The Hot Shots, The Viewing Room, Mumbai.

2008 – Works by Various Artists, Bodhi Art, New York.

2008 – Video Wednesday, Gallery Espace, New Delhi.

2008 – The Drawing Show, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2008 – Keep Drawing, Gallery Espace, New Delhi.

2008 – Triva 2008, Annual Show, Triva Contemporary, Thiruvananthapuram.

2008 – Art Beat, The Shrine Gallery, New Delhi.

2008 – Hong Kong International Art Fair, Bombay Art Gallery.

2008 – Art Chicago, Bodhi Art.

2008 – Art Cologne, Italy, Bodhi Art.

2007 – India-Maximum City, Galerie Helene Lamarque, Paris.

2007 – Kashi – 10 Light Years, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi.

2007 – Representation, Triva Contemporary, Thiruvananthapuram.

2007 – Gulf Art Fair, Dubai, Bodhi Art.

2006 – A Compensation for what has been lost, curated by Johny M L, Travancore Art Gallery, New Delhi.

2006 – Take Two – The Chennai Chapter’ Group Show, Gallery Sumukha.

2006 – Real, mattersofart.com, New Delhi.

2006 – Summer Rites, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2006 – Group show, Open Eyed Dreams, Durbar Hall Art Centre, Kochi.

2006 – Four by Four, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi.

2006 – Group show, Shrishti Art Gallery, Hyderabad.

2006 – Group show of Indian artists, Visual Arts Gallery, Hong Kong, presented by Gallery Sumukha.

2005 – Double Enders, curated by Bose Krishnamachari, at Jehangir Art Gallery & Museum Gallery, Mumbai, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore, and Durbar Hall Art Centre, Kochi.

2005 – New Colours of Sumukha, Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.

2004 – Group show, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.

2003 – Remembering Bhupen, Kashi Art Café, Fort Kochi.

2003 – Regional Art Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, Chennai

2002 – Monsoon Show, Daira Centre for Art & Culture, Hyderabad.

2002 – Tree Festival, Kashi Art Cafe, Fort Kochi.

2002 – An Album of Drawings, Draavidia, Kochi.

2002 – Cross Currents, Daira Centre for Art & Culture, Hyderabad.

2001 – Annual show, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Durbar Hall Art Centre, Kochi.

2000 – Chingamela, Kerala Kalapeetom, Kochi.

1999 – An Album of Drawings and Paintings, Draavidia Gallery, Kochi.

1998 – Substances on Black Moon, Galleria Mareechika, Kochi.

1998 – Miniature Format Show, Gallery Sans Tache, Mumbai.

1997 – Gift for India, SAHMAT, Ravindra Bhavan, New Delhi.

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At present lives and works in Kochi, Kerala.