Ranbir Kaleka Indian, b. 1953

Born in 1953, multi-media artist Ranbir Kaleka studied at the College of Art, Chandigarh, and the Royal College of Art, London. Initially trained as a painter, Kaleka’s integrative work has increasingly animated two-dimensional canvases within experimental film narrative sequences as well as explored immersive, large-scale video installations.

Kaleka has participated in exhibitions across a range of major galleries and museums around the world. Some of his recent shows include Goethe Institut Max Mueller, Mumbai (2022); Palazzo Madama, Turin, Italy (2021–2022); Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi (2021); Hong-gah Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2021); Gallery Ojas, Delhi (2021); Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi (2021); Vancouver Art Gallery (2020); India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (2020); the Fotofest 2018 Biennial, Houston, Texas (2018); and Asia Contemporary Art Week, Dubai (2018), among others. He has also exhibited at Volte Gallery, Mumbai (2012); Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel (2012); 4th Guangzhou Triennial (2011); Singapore Art Museum (2011); Prague Biennale 5 (2011); Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (2011); MOCA Taipei, Taiwan (2010); SESC Pompeia, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2010); Bose Pacia Gallery, New York (2009, 2008, 2005); Mori Art Museum, Japan (2008); Sydney Biennale (2008); Museum of Fine Arts, Bern, Switzerland (2007); Spertus Museum, Chicago (2007); the 51st Venice Biennale (2005);  and Kunsthalle, Vienna, Austria (2002), to name a few.

In 2007, Dr Felicitas Heimann-Jelinek, senior Judaica curator at the Spertus Museum in Chicago commissioned Kaleka to create a Holocaust memorial. The site-specific video installation is titled Consider, and consists of two projections – a painting and an audio narrative of oral testimony from Auschwitz.

Kaleka was awarded the National Award by the President of India at the 22nd National Exhibition of Art organized by the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1979 in Delhi. His work is in several important collections, including the Singapore Museum; Asia Society New York; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Peabody Essex, MA; Burger Collection, Switzerland; and the National Museum of Montenegro.

The artist lives and works in New Delhi.