Ankur Yadav is an artist and curator based in Behror, Rajasthan, India. Trained as a painter, his work finds form through installation, film, photography, poetry, and site-specific intervention. Drawing inspiration from literature, philosophy, and daily life, His work challenges the violence inherent in institutions, cultural norms, and environmental extraction. Currently, he is focused on addressing the socio-political concerns prevalent in his region.
A Fine Arts graduate from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, he pursued his post-graduation at the Faculty of Visual Arts, MSU Baroda. He is a recipient of the Prince Clause Seed Award 2022, Inlaks Fine Art Award 2020, and The Emerging Artist Award Extended Support by FICA & MMF 2020. He is a grantee of Art For Hope by Hyundai Motor India Foundation 2024, and the Generator co-operative Art Production Fund by Experimenter Gallery 2021. He received the Odyssey fellowship at the Alternative Art School 2024 and the Ravi Jain Memorial Fellowship by Dhoomimal Gallary 2023. He was an awardee of the Pro Helvetia, Swiss Studio Residency at Rote Fabrik, Zurich, 2022. He is a researcher at The New Centre For Research & Practice in Art and Curatorial Practice, and a researcher at The After School at CAD+SR.
Born: 1995, Behror
Lives and works: Behror, Rajasthan (India)
EDUCATION:
2023 Certificate in Art & Curatorial Practice at The New Centre For Research & Practice
2019 Masters in Visual Arts (Painting) - Maharaja Sayajirao University Baroda, Vadodara, India
2017 Bachelors in Visual Arts (Painting) - Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharti, Santiniketan, India
FURTHER PROGRAMS
2024 - Alternative Art School, Summer Session (Class of Mark Dion, Raqs Media Collective)
2024 - The After School Fellow organized by the Center for Arts, Design, and Social Research (CAD+SR)
2023 - ‘Decoding Anthropocene: Tackling Climate Crisis’ by Sharbendu De, Supported by Photo South Asia, an initiative of the Murthy NAYAK Foundation, four months Online Course
2021 - ‘Home Workspace Program’, Ashkal Alwan, Lebanon, seven months Online Course
2021 - ‘Course: Art as Politics’ Bak Public Studies, Netherlands, one-month Online Course
2021 - ‘Political Documentary’ Filmmaking course by People's Film Collective, Kolkata, two months Online Course
2020 - ‘Exploring Film With R.V. Ramani’ two months Online Course
AWARDS/ FELLOWSHIPS/ GRANTS
2024 - Odyssey fellowship, Alternative Art School (Class of Mark Dion, Raqs Media Collective)
2024 - Art For Hope Grantee by Hyundai Motor India Foundation
2024 - Exhibition grant from Goethe Institute, New Delhi, for the Exhibition of Critical Zones. In Search Of A Common Ground
2024 - Production grant from PATI Foundation India, for the Solo Exhibition at Jaipur Art Week
2023 - Ravi Jain Memorial Fellowship by Dhoomimal Gallary, New Delhi Link
2022 - Prince Claus Seed Award, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2021 - Generator Cooperative Art Production Fund Grantee, Experimenter Gallery, India
2020 - Inlaks Fine Art Award, India
2020 - The Emerging Artist Award Extended Support Platform by FICA & MMF
2020 - Production grant from Abhiyakti, The City Arts Project, for Third Edition, Ahmedabad
RESIDENCIES
2022 - Pro-Helvetia Residency at Rote Fabrik, Zurich, Switzerland, for three months
2022 - Nature Residency by Empty Room, Maputo, Mozambique, one month Online
2021 - Inlaks Foundation Residency, facilitated by Veerangana Kumari Solanki, one month Online
SOLO EXHIBITION
2024 - Sukriti Gallery, at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Solo Artist for Jaipur Art Week
2022 - Open Studio, Rote Fabric, Zurich, Switzerland, Supported by Pro-Helvetia
2020 - Abhivyakti Art Project, at Bhavan's College Campus, Ahmedabad
GROUP EXHIBITION
2024 - Critical Zones. In Search Of A Common Ground, at Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
2024 - Art for Hope exhibition by Hyundai Motor India Foundation at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi
2023 - 32nd Ravi Jain Memorial Foundation Annual Awards Exhibition, at Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi
2023 - ‘Encrypted’ Curated by Lina Vincent, Apre Art House, Mumbai
2022 - ‘Hum Sab Sahamat’ at Jawahar Bhavan, by Sahmat Foundation, New Delhi
2022 - ‘Yuva Sambhava’ by Raza Foundation at Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi
2022 - Inception Grant Exhibition, at STIR 2 North Drive DLF, Chattarpur, New Delhi
2022 - CIMA Awards Show, Kolkata
2021 - VAICA 2 ‘Fields Of Vision’ online festival of Video Art
2021 - Annual Exhibition Birla Academy, Kolkata
2020 - India Art Fair, Inlaks booth, New Delhi Link
2019 - Abir’s 'First Take’ Ahmedabad
2017 - ‘Young Expression’ Pune Biennale
2016 - ‘Quest’ Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata
ARTIST TALK & PRESENTATION
2024 - Hosted ‘Poet’s Meet’ at Triveni Kala Sangam initiated by Hyundai Motor India Foundation
2023 - Prince Claus Fund Biennial Symposium, Colombo, Sri Lanka (Artist Presentation)
2022 - ‘The Dialogue #31’ Stiftung Bartels Foundation, Basel, Switzerland (Artist Presentation)
2022 - Public event on ‘Art and Environment’ at Odisha State Museum, India (Artist Presentation)
2022 - Work published for the book ‘Elephant In The Room’ by Conflictorium - Museum of Conflict in India in collaboration with Stroom Den Haag Netherlands
2021 - Justice Adda - Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Legal Pluralism India Conference (Artist Presentation)
WORKSHOP ATTENDED
2022 - ‘The Institute For Embodied Creative Practices’ by Isabel Lewis at Shedhalle, Zurich, Switzerland
2022 - ‘Working From Memory’ on narrative building and bookmaking, led by Chandan Gomes, supported by Photo South Asia, an initiative of the Murthy NAYAK Foundation
2021 - ‘OnScreens’ online workshop by Charu Maithani, initiated by Ark Gallery & Reliable Copy
2021 - ‘Once Upon a Cultural Famine: A Curatorial Thought Experiment’ online workshop led by Nancy Adajania initiated by Kochi Biennale Foundation
2020 - ‘Enter the Dragon’ online workshop by Paribartan Mohanty initiated by KNMA