Jury for Fellowship 2024-2025

   

Jagannath Panda is a distinguished artist whose work dissects the intersections of urbanisation and culturalheritage through diverse media—known for integrating elements of technology and mythology, his installations and paintings feature in prominent collections, including the Mori Art Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art. Founder of the Utsha Foundation, Panda actively promotes art infrastructure and education in Odisha. His notable projects include curating the Bhubaneswar Art Trail 2018. Among his many accolades are the Centre Prize from C.I.I.C London and multiple All-India Fine Arts awards, recognizing his significant impact on contemporary art.

 

 

Bhavna Kakar is an arts entrepreneur, art historian and publisher. Her independent research and curatorial practice focus on innovative forms of art making and critical writing in the region of South Asia. Kakar consolidated these interests to establish Gallery LATITUDE 28 and TAKE on Art magazine, both of which are synonymous with stimulating innovative perspectives beyond the established canon. She is a recipient of a Visiting Fellowship in Switzerland, Pro Helvetia (2022); Arts Entrepreneur of the Year Award by FICCI (2017), International Studio Programme at OCA Norway (2016) and ATSA Fellowship (2010). She is also the Co-Founder of DCAW (Delhi Contemporary Art Week), one of India’s most relevant curated events focusing on contemporary arts and she constituted the research based TAKE on arts’s Art Writers’ Award ( /AWA) in collaboration with Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, a first of its kind in the region.

 

 

Puja Patnaik is a distinguished gemologist and jewellery designer, began her illustrious career in India, advancing her expertise in London at Sotheby’s, where she specialised in jewellery and Indian art. With over three decades in the art world, she has devoted fourteen years to academia at GIA London, mentoring the future leaders of gemology and design. For the past 25 years, she has curated a comprehensive collection of South Asian art, showcasing her deep appreciation for culture and heritage, exemplified by her role as a founding member of the South Asian Acquisition Committee at the Tate Modern Museum.

 

 

Seema Jindal is the Founder & Managing Director of Nourish Organics, leading India’s premier clean-label functional food company. With a design background and a passion for holistic wellness, she crafts healthy, organic products for urban lifestyles. As a dedicated philanthropist and art patron, Seema founded the Ananth Centre for Learning and Development and supports various CSR initiatives. Her role in the Art for Art fellowship champions artistic growth and social responsibility.

 

 

Jury & Mentors for Virtual Residency 2024

 

 

Vasudha Thozhur is an interdisciplinary artist with a primary focus on painting. She studied at the College of Arts and Crafts, Madras, and the School of Art and Design in Croydon, UK. Her career spans living and working in Chennai and Baroda, with extensive experience in exhibitions, workshops, and institutional roles in India and abroad. She has received prestigious grants and awards, including the French Government Scholarship, the Charles Wallace Grant, and the Chitrakala Samman/Shri HR Kejriwal Award by The Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad. Vasudha was a founding faculty member and professor at the Department of Art, Media, and Performance at Shiv Nadar University 2013 to 2024.

 

 

Mithu Sen is a conceptual artist who explores myths of identity and their intersection with the structures of our world, whether social, political, economic, or emotional and performs her work across mediums to explore hierarchies and conventions with particular reference to ‘myths’ of language, sexuality, market, and marginalisation. Braiding grotesque fiction, personal ephemera, and piercing humour to obscure societal codes, the by-products of her conceptual practice take the forms of drawings, sculptures, poems, performances, videos, and installations. Sen works fundamentally as a performer, tangling with the politics of language, disciplining of bodies, conventions of society, and polite impositions of the art world. Known for her provocative, alluring, and playful examination of these hierarchies, Sen is committed to perpetual unbecoming through performative interventions, symbolic and linguistic counter-narratives and intricate territorial tracings.

 

 

Gigi Scaria is a multifaceted artist whose work encompasses digital art, video, photography, installation, sculpture, and painting. A graduate of the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, and Jamia Millia University, New Delhi, Scaria explores urban transformation and its psychological impacts through his art. Notably, he represented India at the 54th Venice Biennale with his installation Elevator from the sub-continent. Scaria’s international presence includes exhibitions and residencies across continents, from the Smart Museum, Chicago to the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. His work probes the dynamics of social space in contemporary urban settings, making him a pivotal mentor and jury member in the art community.

 

 

Shantamani Muddaiah is an esteemed sculptor and installation artist from Mysore, Shanthamani Muddaiah explores the delicate balance between nature and human interaction, often using ephemeral materials like carbon and water. Her prestigious exhibitions span global Biennales and museums, with works in significant collections worldwide, including the Museum of Art & Photography, Bangalore, and the Helene Lamarque Gallery in Paris. Shanthamani’s contributions extend beyond the canvas, enriching the cultural landscape through community projects and monumental public sculptures.