“Blessed are those who have learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter and to lead but not manipulate“
Humor and satire have been an undeniable undercurrent in Chandrashekar Koteshwar’s body of work. The objects that he makes most of the time, are set to be deliberately incongruent. The idea is to question the structure of building up a form and visual, thereby questioning the very process of meaning making itself. Like how when meanings are never complete when they are fragmented, his works are created in a way to never achieve that completeness in the meaning. While viewing such works, we can probably understand the various mediations and politics of representation. Born in Karnataka in 1984, Chandrashekar Koteshwar completed BFA in Sculpture from CAVA, Mysore and MFA Museology from MS University, Baroda. Winner of Gujarat state merit award for Sculpture (Kalanand art contest) in 2017 and Shrishti AIF grant in 2020, he has been part of numerous exhibitions, conducted in various parts of the country. Chandrashekar lives and works in Baroda, Gujarat.
Every discipline invests within itself the power to represent its objects according to its needs of survival.
But a small shift in the view or a minor alteration or addition from outside the field helps question the
subject/object of the discipline and also allows numerous other ways of defining the object.
I have moved away from my earlier pre occupation of the idea of museum. My works tried to explore
these disciplinary inconsistencies of display and meaning of a certain object. I used to create objects
which resembled historical artifacts, to actually poke fun at the so called importance assigned to them.
Also these false objects were done with humor and satire to put forward a critique of various
disciplinary knowledge systems and their futility in creating a fabricated history
The present body of works though takes references from such approach has moved on to a more
sophisticated and challenging search about object hood itself. I am also slowly doing away with the idea
of linearity in narration and moving to the question of language as fragments and as ruins. I am also
curious in exploring further how meanings get assigned to certain objects. My reference though comes
from history and traditional sculptural and cultural artifacts; I create my own versions without minding
about the rules and canons of the tradition. For me the secondary objects like platforms, support,
frames etc. are as equally important or sometimes the very subject of my art work. What in the past was
just an addition becomes theme of my work.
Humor and satire has also been an undeniable undercurrent in my work. The objects that I make most
of the time are set to be incongruent deliberately. The idea is to question the structure of building up a
form and visual, thereby questioning the very process of meaning making itself. Like how when
meanings are never complete when they are fragmented my works are created in a way to never
achieve that completeness in the meaning. While viewing such works probably we can understand the
various mediations and politics of representation. The scale of my works also creates a tremendous
impact on the viewer. Sometimes mountains are scaled to miniscule level maquets but still maintain the monumentality of the original imagination.
Academics
B.F.A (Sculpture) CAVA – University of Mysore, 2007
M.F.A (Museology) Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University of Baroda, 2005
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
"Unidentified II", Things about Replica. Exhibition of Sculptures,at Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai in 2018.
“Unidentified”, Exhibition of Sculptures & Paintings, Knots Experimental Art Space, Baroda in 2015
Group Exhibitions
LAIN MACAM 2025. Langkawi International Marble Art camp. The National Art Gallery Langkawi, Malaysia in 2025
International symposium of metal sculpture,Curated by Rajendar Tiku, at Shipanjali art foundation Jaipur in 2025
Ni Fest’8 National Art camp curated by Sujith S N at Nirachartu Enkakad, Thrissur, Kerala. 2023 13th national Ceramic & terracotta sculpture camp at Mind tree school, Ambala, Haryana in 2023
National Stone Sculpture Symposium at Ahalia Foundation, Palakkad, Kerala in 2020
‘Ranga Abhinaya Rasanubhava’ Sculpture Camp at Rangayana - Dharawada By Shilpakala Academy Bengaluru in 2020
National Contemporary Public related stone Art camp at Kuvempu University, Shivamogga,By Shilpakala Academy Bengaluru in 2018
Contemporary wood art camp by Karnataka Shilpakala Academy Bengaluru and Dasara Committee Mysuru – 2017 at Mysuru in 2017
‘Alvas Shilpa Siri’ Sculpture Camp, at Alvas Education Foundation, Moodbidri-Mangalore in 2015
‘SU-YOGA’ Artist-Residency, at Kanakamajalu-Mangalore in 2007
Vivan Sundaram drawing workshop, Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda in 2007
Terracotta workshop by Gopinath, at CAVA- Mysore in 2007
‘Contemporary Stone Sculpture camp’ by Karnataka Shilpakala Academy in Kalagrama Bengaluru in 2007
‘Suvarna Karnataka’ camp by Kannada and cultural Dept in Kalagrama, Bengaluru in 2007
‘SAMHITA’ workshop/seminar, at College of Art, New Delhi in 2006
Metal casting workshop -organized by S.C.Z.C Nagpur, at CAVA Mysore in 2006
Workshop by N.N. Rimzon at CAVA-Mysore in 2006
Residencies:
Shimeesha Art Studio –Baroda (2017-20)
‘Timeless in Bronze’ Exhibition of sculpture- collaboration with Shilpanjali Art Foundation, Jaipur at Bihar Museum, Patna in 2026
INDIA ART FAIR – 26 Gallery Dotwalk, New Delhi in 2026
‘DRIFTING THROUGH QIET VEINS’ at Gallery Dotwalk, New Delhi. in 2026
LAIN MACAM 2025, The National Art Gallery Langkawi, Malaysia in 2025
Deep Interiors: A return to the (Un)Discovered self – a group show at Chitramayee state gallery of art Hyderabad in 2025
Voir Dire II -a group show at Anupa Mehta Contemporary, Mumbai in 2025
‘ART SOIREE’ Stonex Refinery Kishangarh, Rajasthan in 2025
INDIA ART FAIR -25 Gallery Dotwalk, New Delhi in 2025
‘Anthology on the Annex’, at The art gallery, Amdavad ni Gufa, Ahemdabad in 2025
‘Siren’s Lullaby in a forgotten realm’ group show at Chitramayee state gallery of art Hyderabad in 2024
‘find X Sculpture I Material I objects’ at Frida Art House, Ritz carlton, Pune in 2024
‘Maati/HUB 11’ Group show at Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda in 2024
‘Luminous Riveries’ curated by Premjish Achari at Travancore palace, New Delhi in 2024
Ni fest’8 National Art camp exhibition curated by Sujith S N at Govt.College of fine Arts, Thrissur in 2023
‘THINGS ARE VANISHING BEFORE US’ curated by Premjish Achari at Bikaner House, New Delhi in 2023
‘Fault Lines’ Visual symptoms of discordances in Indian history, Curated by V.Divakar at CONFLICTORIUM museum of conflict, Ahmedabad in 2023
‘Sands of Time II’ sculpture group exhibition at Kalakriti Art Gallery Hyderabad in 2023
India Art Fair with Gallery Dotwalk in 2023.
"An unlocated window of myself", Gallery Dotwalk, Gurgaon in 2022.
Artissima Fair ‘HUB INDIA’ Maximum Minimum Curated by Myna Mukherjee & David Quardrio at Turin Italy in 2021.
"Patterns of Intensity" curated by Ranjit Hoskote at Art alive Gallery New Delhi in 2021.
"Madhyam", group exhibition at Shrishti Art Gallery Hyderabad in 2021.
"All Is Not Lost 20:20:20", curated by Saloni Doshi at Sakshi Gallery Mumbai in 2020.
"Shifting Positions", group exhibition at ‘Saugandhika’ Puttur. D.K in 2020
The Sentence Presents "Petrichor” online Art Exhibition in 2020.
"Untitled II" online exhibition at Priyasri art gallery, Mumbai in 2020.
"INDIA ART FAIR 2020", group exhibition at Art Centrix Space, New Delhi in 2020.
"Con Tempus WITH TIME", Art Centrix Space, New Delhi in 2019.
"CIMA Awards show-19" at CIMA Gallery, Kolkatta in 2019.
"Since Time Immemorial", group exhibition at Gallery OED Kochi.
(Kochi Muziris Biennale 18) in 2018-19.
"The non-functional system of castrated objects",The sculpture park, Madhavendra palace,Nahargarh fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan in 2018-19.
13th Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Karnataka Shilpakala Academy, Bengaluru in 2017.
"Shimisha Art Show", Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda in 2017.
Banyan Art – Group show, at Ahmedabad in 2017.
"Formation One", group show at Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda in 2016.
"Emami Chisel Art Fair", Emami Chisel Art Gallery Kolkata - 2014
"Shimisha Art Show", Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda in 2014.
The 4th Guanlan International Print Biennial, Guanlan Print art museum, Shenzhen, China in 2013.
"Small is Big-Ripple Trivandrum", Largest contemporary miniature art show of India at La Gallery 360, Museum Bains, Trivandrum - 2013
"Small is Big", largest contemporary miniature art show of India curated byBhuvanesh Gowda, at Darbar Gallery, Kochi in 2013.
"Ex-tensions", group show of sculptures & installations, Curated by V.Divakar at Site art Space GIDC – Baroda in 2013.
“CONTEXTS AND LOCATIONS”, group show at Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda in 2012.
Lalitkala Academy Group show, At Lalit kala Academy, Ahmedabad in 2012.
“From our cabinets to the museum “Group show at Gallery OED, Kochi in 2009.
Discursive Palette-a group show at Faculty of Fine arts M.S.U Baroda 2008 & 2009, 50th National Art Exhibition of Lalikala Academi at Chandigarh in 2008.
Group show in Dhoomi mal gallery, New Delhi in 2007.
Shilpakala Academy Annual show at Kannada Bhavan, Bengaluru in 2007.
Annual Exhibition at CAVA-Mysore in 2007.
S.C.Z.C Nagpur –National Exhibition-Nagpur in 2006.
Awards
Shenoy Art Foundation grant- Emerging Artist for the year in 2021.
City Merit Award for New Media, Prafulla art foundation, Kalanand Contest in 2019.
Merit Award for Gujarat State in the category of Sculpture with fellowship,
Prafulla art foundation, Kalanand Contest in 2017.
