Vivan Sundaram Indian, b. 1943

Born in 1943 in Shimla, Vivan Sundaram studied painting at M.S. University, Baroda, and the Slade School of Fine Art, London. With a diverse practice across sculpture, painting, installation, photography and video, he has had solo shows around the world, including New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Toronto, Montreal and Copenhagen.

 

The Tate Modern opened an exhibit titled Memorial 1993–2014, featuring a room-sized installation of Sundaram’s work in 2023. His last solo exhibition, GAGAWAKA + Post-Mortem (2015), engaged the audience in a compelling dialogue around material, fashion, ecology, body image and the idea of aging. He has exhibited his work at important international venues, including the Sharjah Biennale (2023, 2005); Kochi Biennale (2023, 2012); Sydney (2008); Seville (2006); Taipei (2006); and Shanghai (2004), among others, and has several museum participations, including the Tate Modern, London; the International Centre for Photography, New York; Queens Museum, New York; the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation, Vienna; Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago; the Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen; and Haus der Kulteren Welt, Berlin, to name a few.

 

In 2010, the book Amrita Sher-Gil: A Self-portrait in Letters and Writings, edited and annotated by Vivan Sundaram, was published by Tulika Books, Delhi.

 

The artist passed away in 2023 in New Delhi.