Biography
Subodh Gupta was born in 1964 in the state of Bihar, in North India. He came from a modest family and he grew up in Khagaul, a little village whose interest in the world of art was limited to
sacred images and occasional passages from one of many theatre troupes.
Subodh Gupta became an artist almost by chance, at the pressure of one of his teachers. From 1983 to 1988, he studied painting (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at the Patna College of Arts, in the region
where he was born.
From 90’s, he began to explore other artistic forms that were less traditional at the time: sculpture, video and performances. He exhibited his first installation in 1999: 29 Mornings, at
the Fukuoka Triennial. This participation marks his entry into the international contemporary art scene. During 2000, he took part in the exhibition of the group Negociations in Sete, France
and in Gwangju Biennial (Korea). In 2002 he participated in the trade fair of the inaugural Palace of Tokyo in Paris. His Very Hungry God, based on his preferred medium, traditional Indian
inoxidised kitchen utensils, was exhibited during the 2006 edition of the White Night in Paris. It was acquired by Francois Pinault, who would, a number of months later, exhibit it at the
Grassi Palace, on the Grand Canal in Venice. In 2010, it was acquired by the Town of Lille; thus becoming a permanent installation.
It was in 2009 that Subodh Gupta proclaimed Line of Control. The work, which was once even more of a monument than God Hungry, was exhibited in Tate Britain in London, during the
Triennial. The inoxidised utensils were this assembled in such a way that they formed the shape of a gigantic atomic mushroom, weighing several tonnes. Subodh Gupta, who describes himself quite
voluntarily as “one to take ideas from idols”, today considered to be a major figure of the world of contemporary art in India and internationally. He today lives and works in New Delhi.
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