BAIJU PARTHAN
Born 1956, Kerala, India
Parthan studied painting in Goa in the late 70’s when it was especially fashionable for Westerners to travel
there on spiritual journeys. His education, therefore, was saturated in the world view of Western Art. This
gives him a unique voice, and one that he’s struggled to come to terms with. Inspired by the movements of
Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, etc, in the early 80’s Parthan claimed that he “felt like a
missionary for Western art.” He took a hiatus from painting, studied comparative mythology in Bombay,
and then returned to art a decade later. He has tackled diverse subjects, from hardware engineering to
philosophy, and his studied perspective takes the form of digital media works and installations.
In his artist statement, he sums up his view: “Speaking of the present, I certainly hold the view that
virtualization and relocation of our everyday social and economic transactions into virtual data space is the
most important marker that identifies this present historic moment. Consequently, the art I produce
currently addresses the dematerialization or erosion of tactility of the real, and its effect on our being and
existence.”
Baiju Parthan secured his BFA from the Mumbai University, and has hence held successful solo
exhibitions in Mumbai, New Delhi and Goa. He has also participated in major group shows in Calcutta,
Mumbai, New York and other centers.
Education
2007
1991
1978 – 1983
1976
Masters in Philosophy, University of Mumbai
Postgraduate Diploma in Comparative Mythology
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Goa College of Art, Goa
Bachelors Degree in Botany
Select Solo Exhibitions
2011
2010
2007
2006
2005
2002
2002
2000
1999
1997
1995
1992
Dislocation: Milljunction Part 2, Aicon Gallery London
Milljunction, Aicon Gallery, New York
Liquid Memory + Rant, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
Source Code, organized by Art Musings, Mumbai at Museum Art Gallery, Mumbai
Vapour, New Media Prints, The Guild Gallery, Mumbai
New Media Prints, The Guild Gallery, Mumbai
Espace Gallery, New Delhi
Fine Art Company, Mumbai
Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore
Apparao Galleries, Chennai
Sophia Duchesne Gallery, Mumbai
Masterpiece Gallery, New Delhi
Select Group Exhibitions
2011
Gallery Sumukha, Chennai
Melange, The Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata
Pause: A Collection, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
High-Light, presented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at The Oberoi, Gurgaon
Tech-Cut-Edge-Revelations, Ashna Gallery, New Delhi
Reprise, Aicon Gallery London
2010
Go See India, Vasa Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden
Looking Glass: The Existence of Difference, Twenty Indian Contemporary Artists presented by
Religare Arts Initiative, New Delhi in collaboration with American Centre; British
Council; Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
Changing Skin, presented by The Fine Art Company at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chattrapati
Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai
Constructed Realities, The Guild, Mumbai
The Evolution of the Species, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai, Art Musings,
Mumbai
By George, presented by Cherry Art Foundation at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, New Delhi
Symbols and Metaphors, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
The Way We Are, Mon Art Gallerie, Kolkata
The 11th Hour, Tang Contemporary Art Gallery, Beijing, China
Size Matters or Does It?, Latitude 28, New Delhi
2009
Indian Contemporary, Benedictine Museum, Fecamp, France
Beyond Globalization, Beyond Art Space, Beijing, China
Zip Files, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
Living of the Grid, Anant Art Centre, New Delhi
Retrieval Systems, Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre; Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
Sacred and Secular, India Fine Art, Mumbai
Harvest 09: Part II, Arushi Arts, New Delhi
Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art, Grosvenor Gallery, London
Threshold: Forging Narratives in South Asian Contemporary Art, Aicon Gallery, New York
2008
Third Life, Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai
Ghost of Souza, Aicon Gallery, New York
Everywhere is War, Bodhi Art, Mumbai
Freedom: Sixty Years After Indian Independence, Centre for International Modern Art
(CIMA), Kolkata
2007-08 Polyphonies, Gallery Hosp, Tirol, Austria
2007
Mechanisms of Motion, Anant Gallery, New Delhi
2007
Young Guns, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2006
Altered Realities, works by three eminent Indian artists- Baiju Parthan, Chittrovanu
Majumdhar and Sibu Nateshan, New York
2006
Strangeness, Anant Art Gallery, Kolkata
2005
KAAM: Recent works by Mumbai and Baroda Artists, Aicon Gallery, New York
2005
Arad Biennale, Romania
2005
NRLA - Live Art Festival, Midland, Perth, Australia
Double-Enders, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Museum Gallery, Mumbai; Vadhera Art Gallery,
New Delhi
Bangalore; Durbar Hall, Kochi
2004
Along the X-axis: Video Art from India and Pakistan
Apeejay Media Gallery, New Delhi
Zoom! Art in Contemporary India, Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal
Indian Contemporary Art Show
2001
Seven Degrees, Laguna, California
2000
Icons of the Millenium , Nehru Centre, Mumbai organized by Lakeeren
Sotheby’s Artist of the Year Award show, NGMA, Mumbai
1999
1997
1996
1995
Art and Technology, the Magazine Show, NGMA, Mumbai
Ninth Asian Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fifty Years of Indian Contemporary Art, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
Four Visions, The Gallery, Hong Kong
Duo Show, Sarina Tang Gallery, New York
Awards and Scholarships
2001
Artist in Residency, Gallery Seven Degrees, Laguna
2000
Nominee for Artist of the Year, Sotheby’s, London
1978-81 Recipient of the Lalit Kala Akademi Merit Prize
Collections
National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
Private collections in India and abroad