After completing high school, I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with first class honours from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, in 1998 and, subsequently, took a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in 2000 from the same institution for which I was also awarded first class honours. During my time as a student, I was awarded the Best Sculpture Award conferred by the Rabindra Bharati University in 1999 and the Best Sculpture Award by the West Bengal State Academy (West Bengal is the state to which I belong) in 2000. This was followed by the HK Kejriwal Young Artist Award in 2001, the Junior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India, the Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship which is one of the most prestigious scholarships in India as it is awarded by the national academy of fine arts, the Nirman Art Award in 2004 and the Navonmesha Puraskar awarded by the Lath Foundation in 2005.
In 2002, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture – one of the primary public spaces in Kolkata – hosted my first solo exhibition. This was followed by solo shows in New York in 2008 and in Kolkata and Amhedabad in India in 2009. In addition to this, I have participated in numerous group exhibitions and fairs including those at Dubai, Rome and Basel. I have, therefore, been a practicing sculptor since I was an undergraduate and am now looking to gain academic and professional experience in an environment other than my own. Owing to the rigorous training I have undergone both as an undergraduate and a graduate student, I feel my understanding of material and form are fairly advanced. I now want to develop further some of the concepts with which I have been engaged for a while and also to examine them from a multiplicity of perspectives.
My medium was Painted Fiber Glass while working on Mahatma, as well as those sculptures I juxtaposed myself with the iconic Indian figures. Prior to them, I worked with wood carving to a great extent and waste plastic carrybags. I feel the time has now come for me to explore a new range of media which will complement and supplement my existing practice.
I, therefore, feel that as a result of my academic and professional expertise, I am a suitable candidate for this award.
