Born
May 27 1947, New Delhi
Education
1965-72 College of Art, New Delhi
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025
Frieze Masters London, Shrine Empire and Art Exposure
2024
‘In Another Time That is Now’, Bikaner House, New Delhi
India Art Fair, Shrine Empire, New Delhi
If We Knew the Point, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi
2020
Old Bengal, Modern to Contemporary (Series – I), Gallery Kolkata, Calcutta
2019
Contemporary Practices, Gallery Kolkata
2010
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2007
'You Shall Remain Hidden...', Selected Works on Paper from 1970 to 2007 by Amitava', Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2007
Anant Art, New Delhi
2004
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
1995
'Works on Paper from 1972-94', Sakshi Gallery, New Delhi
1990
Sakshi Gallery, Chennai
1989
'Artists Alert', New Delhi
1978
'Works on Paper', Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
Selected Group Exhibitions
2011
'Melange', The Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata
2008
'Frame Figure Field - 20th Century Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008
'Freedom: Sixty Years after Indian Independence', Centre International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2007
'Modern to Contemporary', Gallery Kolkata, Kolkata
2007
'On Their Own: An Exhibition of Abstract Paintings', Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata
2007
'Femina Power of Pink', ITC Hotel, The Grand Central
2007
'Conglomeration', Prakrit Arts, Chennai
2006
'Making of Divinity', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2006
'Back to the Future', Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2006
'The Naked Line: Drawings by 12 Artists', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2005
'Concept & Ideas', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2005
'Subtlety-Minimally', presented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2001
'The Human Factor', The Guild, Mumbai
1999
'Icons of the Millennium', Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai
1997
‘Through the Looking Glass’, Lakeeren Gallery, Mumbai
1995
'View from the Edge', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1994
'Drawing 1994', All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
1993
'Indische Gegenwartskunst', Mainz,Germany; Stettin, Poland
1993
'India Songs: Multiple Streams in Contemporary IndianArt', New South Wales, Sydeny
1992
'Poineer to the New Generation', Arts Acre, West Bengal
1991
'Three Contemporary Artists', Bremen, Germany
1989
'Contemporary Indian Painting', Darmstadt, Germany
1977
'Pictorial Space', Ravindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1977
'Two Painters', Black Partridge Gallery, New Delhi
1976
'Twenty Artists', Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi
1974-75
'New Group', Ravindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi & Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
Participations
2011
‘Manifestations V', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011
'The Intuitive: Logic Revisted', from the Osians Collection at The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland
2010
Annual Exhibition, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010
‘Manifestations IV', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008
'Zeitgenoessische Kunst aus Indien: Part II', Galerie Müller & Plate, Munich
2008
'Annual Show', Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi
2007
'Summer Show', Centre International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2007
Egyptian and Indian Painters at the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art, Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, Cairo
2007
'Harmony Show', Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2006
Annual Show, Centre International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2003-04
'The Dual Path of Indian Art Today: Part I', Galerie Müller & Plate, Munich
1987
Bharat Bhavan Biennale, Bhopal
1979
'All India Exhibition of Graphics', Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh
1976
National Exhibition, Ravindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1971
'Art Today III : Graphics & Drawings', Ashoka Gallery, Kolkata
1970
'Art Today II', Ashoka Galley, Kolkata & Shridharani Art Gallery, New Delhi
1969
'Art Today I', Kunika Chemould, New Delhi
1968
Annual Exhibition, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
Honours and Awards
1989
Fellowship from the Federal Republic of Germany for the Advanced Exposure to the Exhbition and Graphic Design
1980-1982
All India Exhibition Prints, Chandigarh
1982
Sahitya Kala Parishad, New Delhi
1976
National Award, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
Amitava (b.1947) lives and works in New Delhi. He graduated from the Delhi College of Art in 1972. Amitava has been strongly influenced by the existential philosophy of Sartre and Camus as well as the poetry of Jibananda Das and Shakti Chattopadhyay. The existential dilemma of a man thrown into a world as a stranger is characteristic of his work. In his paintings, Amitava introduces a single figure within a dense, turgidly rendered space. His work is primarily based on human situations, where man is both the creator and the destroyer. The natural and artificial are cleverly fused to show the interdependence of the man-made and natural worlds. He tries to bring out the inner struggles of men placed in difficult times. From the gentleness and resignation in his earlier works, he moved on to canvases that depict the violence and avarice of modern times. Working with a variety of mediums, Amitava uses watercolours, oils, and pastels to portray his thoughts and feelings evoked by his observations of the life around him. In the 70’s Amitava co-founded the New Group, a Delhi based artists collective. He taught art at Jamia Millia Islamia (1974-75) and was a visiting faculty member of College of Art and Women’s Polytechnic, Delhi (1977).
Amitava has designed publications, exhibitions, interior, furniture and created trade fair graphics. He has been profiled in ‘A Painters portrait,’ a film by K.Bikram Singh for Doordarshan and numerous other television programmes. He has co-curated the contemporary Indian art show ‘The Yellow Deity’ for the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest, Hungary. He has held various solo exhibitions including at Art Heritage, Delhi (1990 & 1996); Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (1993 & 2004); Galerie FIA, Amsterdam (1997); ‘Come play with me,’ Bagash Art Gallery, Dubai (2006). His selected group exhibitions include ‘Two Painters- Amitava Das and Manjit Bawa,’ Black Partridge Gallery, New Delhi (1977); ‘The Pictoral Space,’ curated by Geeta Kapur, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (1977); All India Exhibition of Drawings, Chennai (1981); Prints, Galerie Steinmetz, Bonn, Germany (1981); Grenchen Triemale- International Exhibition of Prints, Switzerland (1982); Contemporary India Painting, Moscow (1984); Fredrikstad Biennale of Prints, Norway (1984); Contemporary India Painting, Darmstadt, Germany (1989); ‘War and Peace-Contemporary Paintings,’ Max Mueller Bhavan, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bombay (1990); Three Contemporary Artists, Bremen, Germany (1991); Contemporary Indian Art, Dhaka, Bangladesh (1992); Indische Gegenwartskunst, Mainz Germany and Stettin, Poland (1993); India Songs- Multiple Streams in Contemporary Indian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (1993); Orange Regional Gallery, Australia (1993); Drawing ’94, Gallery Espace, AIFACS, New Delhi (1994); Phase – II : Contemporary Practices, Gallery Kolkata (2019); Old Bengal, Modern to Contemporary (Series – I), Gallery Kolkata (2020); India Art Fair, Shrine Empire, New Delhi (2024).
Amitava received a fellowship from the Federal Republic of Germany for advanced exposure to exhibition and graphic design (1989). He has received the National Award (1976) and the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1982). Amitava’s works can be found in the collections of Society of Contemporary Art, London; National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi; Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal; Punjab Museum, Chandigarh; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and more.
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India Art Fair 2024 – | | Group Show
February 01,2024-February 04,2024
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Delhi Contemporary Art Week 2024 – | Group Show
August 31,2024-September 04,2024
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Shrine Empire x Art Exposure-In Another Time That Is Now – | Solo show
November 08,2024-November 19,2024
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India Art Fair | Booth - B09 – | Group Show
February 06,2025-February 09,2025
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Art Mumbai 2025 – | Group Show
November 13,2025-November 16,2025
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India Art Fair | 2026 – | Group Show
February 05,2026-February 08,2026
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‘प्रक्रिया / Process’ – | Group Show
April 21,2026-May 23,2026
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