Born 23rd Sept,1960, New Delhi, India.
The first time you see Seema Kohli's work, you're taken aback by the
brilliance of the colors, the delicious strangeness of the figures and
the ethereal brushwork: intricate, profound and expertly crafted. But
what you will remember is the mysterious orb that hangs over her
oeuvre, sometimes in paint and sometimes in spirit, it is the golden
womb and it is her refrain, her leitmotif and the centre of her
artistic vision.
This is where Seema Kohli spent 11 months of her life, her mind still
unformed; her body still undecided, and because she had more time, she
remembers, making her art an unfurling chronicle of a memory and the
narrative of her journey. To her, the womb represents the perfect half
way house, between the material and the divine, it's where we let go
our cosmic consciousness and finally take on the human condition,
forever forgetting where we came from and what it all means.
Her brush excavates, discovers and brings into focus, sights and
sounds of this world within a world, capturing creation in creation,
unearthing the cycle of life from under the miscellany of living. And
it's from deep inside the womb that she gets her inspiration, as if
she is an insider, giving us glimpses, stories and songs only she is
witness to. It's these glimpses that become the subjects of her critically
acclaimed work. Not surprisingly, her recent mixed-media work,
Ouroboros is the story of birth, of life and liberation, brought alive
through a virtuoso performance that spans across 84 paintings and
photographs.
In 2009, she received the prestigious Gold Award at the Florence
Biennale for her video installation, Swayamsiddha-Myth, Mind and
Movement. Important works of hers have found their way into public and
private collections across the world, most recently at the Rubin
Museum, New York; the New Delhi International Airport and the Indian
Defense Ministry.
She has also received the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation Women
Achiever’s Award and the Lalit Kala National Award for Women in 2008 -
one of the highest honours an artist can receive in India.
Seema Kohli currently lives and works in New Delhi.
QUALIFICATIONS
1981 B.A. (HON.) Philosophy, Miranda House, University of Delhi.
1983 Diploma in Applied Arts (ITI) , South Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi.
2002 Worked in collaboration in Lithography with Mr. Devraj Dakoji.
2002,2004 Worked in Bharat Bhawan.
1995,2005 Worked and trained in Triveni Kala Sangam under the eminent artist Mr. Rameshwar Broota.
AWARDS
2010 Young FICCI Ladies Organisation Women Achiever's Awards.2009
Gold Medal Florence Biennale - for 2-channel video installation, Swayamsiddha.
2008 Marg Drishti Award, South Delhi Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi.
2007 Lalit Kala Akademi National Awards for Women.
SELECTIONS
2010 Fashion meets Art series, art work by Seema Kohli (Gallery Art Positive) and fashion installation by designer Niki Mahajan, FIO, The Garden of Five Senses, New Delhi.
2010 Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai.
2010 Permanent collection, Essl Museum, Austria.
2010 Los Angeles Art Fair.
2009 Florence Biennial.
2009 Asian First Film Festival, Singapore - screening & nomination.
2009 Gabron Museum Vallodalid , Spain.
2009 The Shore Institute of The Contemporary Arts, New Jersey.
2008 Sovereign Art Foundation, Hong Kong.
2007 Lalit Kala Akademi National Awards.
2007 Florence Biennial.
2006 Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal.
2003 Sahitya Kala Parishad Annual, Drawing.
2002 Sahitya Kala Parishad Annual, Photography.
2002 Camlin Northern Regional Competition.
2001 AIFACS Annual Painting Competition.
2001 AIFACS Annual (State Level) Drawing Competition.
2001 CAMLIN North Regional Annual Competition.
2000 AIFACS Annual Drawing Competetion.
1998 Sahitya Kala Parishad, Annual Exhibition.
SOLO SHOWS
2011 Oroborus, Art Summit, presented by Gallery Nvya, New Delhi.
Syncronicity, Gallery Time and Space Bangalore and
AJainMaranuchi ,NYC,USA.
Modula Conceptions,Dubai.
Shristi Gallery ,Hyderabad.
2010 Myth is Reality by Gallery art and Soul, Mumbai.
2009 Mystical Narratives, Mahua Art Gallery, Bangalore
2009 Swayam Siddha, curated by Dr. Alka Pande and presented by Gallery Nvya.
2009 Philosophical Fantasy, Gallery Seven & Art & Soul.
2008 Artist of the Month, Bajaj Capital Art House.
2007 Hiranya Garbha, Gallery Space, Hyderabad.
2007 Hiranya Garbha - The Golden Womb - curated by Dr. Alka Pande, Art Room gallery at Visuals Art Gallery.
2007 Alchemy, Arushi Arts at Kitab Mahal, Mumbai.
2006 Hiranya Garbha, Chor Bazaar, London, curated by Sushma K Bahl.
2006 The Eternal Womb Art Heritage curated by Ebrahim Alkazi, New Delhi.
2004 The Golden Womb, paper works at Anayas Art Gallery, New Delhi.
2003 Random Introspection, The Grand and Maurya Marriot, New Delhi.
2002 The Golden Womb, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
2001 Hiranya Garbha, ISU Art Gallery, Singapore.
1999 Spirited Sprite, Triveni Gallery, New Delhi.
1999 Reflections, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
1999 Black & White, ANZ Grindlays, New Delhi.
1998 The Quest, AIFACS, New Delhi.
GROUP SHOWS
2014 'India - The Revealed Mysteries' in Conjunction with Venice Biennale 2014 , Venice , curated by Sandro Orlandi , co curated by Sangeeta Juneja.
2013 'Confluence des Arts' a group show of 100 artists at Gallery Artchill, Amber Fort , jaipur.
2012 Chamba Rumal by Forum art Gallery,Chennai, India.
Devotion by Art Positive, New Delhi.
Harvest-Arushi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Women:Sacred and the temporal by Shristi Art Gallery, Hyderabad.
DigitalArt by Forum Art Gallery,Art Chennai, Chennai.
Devotion By Art Positive,VAG, New Delhi.
Udarta By Indo Australian Collaberation, VAG, IHC, New Delhi.
Annual Show by Chawla Art Gallery, VAG, IHC, New Delhi.
In Search of Equiblirium-Shristi, Hyderabad.
Panchtatva by Indian Art Fair 2011by Gallery Nvya, New Delhi.
"Cross over " and Indo BanglaDesh joint endeavor curated by Sushma Bahl.
Archana Sapra at IIC,New Delhi.
2011 Continnum by Lat 28, Singapore.
Itheca curated by Ina Puri by Prakrit Art Gallery in LKA, New Delhi.
Roop Katha curated by Ina Puri for Gallery Nvya.
"I am living" nanhi chaan by Badal Foundation.
“Lost Sparrow” at Threshold,New Delhi.
“Shakti” at Kalakritti,Hyderabad.
“Harvest” Arushi art Gallery,New delhi.
Annual Show at Sara Arakkal Gallery,Bangalore.
Nanhi Chhaan,Gurgoan,Haryana.
Ecelectic Ensemble ,House of Art,New Delhi.
Visual Ventures at Emami Chisel,kolkota.
"Eye on India" by Teamwork Productions & Anookul Inc in - Chicago at Festival of Indian Arts and Culture
Annual by lat 28, New delhi.
Samay,Krisala Art, UK.
‘Pratibimb’—Reflections of Indian Art, Visual Arts Gallery presented by Dhoomimal City Gallery, New Delhi.
Racism and Reconciliation, Art Konsult, curated by Sahar Zaman, New Delhi.
Portrait of an Artist, Dhoomimal Art Centre, New Delhi.
A collection of individualistic works of art and jewellery, presented by Gallery Art & Soul, Mumbai.
2010 Convergence, Art Positive, New Delhi.
‘10 x 10’, Gallery Threshold, New Delhi.
'‘Art Celebrates! 2010’ Sports and the City’, Lalit Kala Akademi, presented by Arushi Arts, curated by Rupika Chawla, New Delhi.
‘The Art of Luck’: Card-o-logy II’, Gallery Le Sutra, presented by Samsara Art, curated by Jasmine Shah Varma, Mumbai.
'Articulate ‘ by Pratham, Christie’s, London.
'Devotion-Transformation’, Art Positive, New Delhi.
'7 Women Artists', Art Heritage 1, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.
'Where the Streets have no name', Salaam Baalak Trust Children, curated by Dr. Alka Pande, Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi.
'Fusion', Krisala Arts, Art Corridor, Taj West End, Bangalore.
'The Spirit of a Butterfly', Gallery Art & Soul, curated by Prayag Shukla, Mumbai.
God vs Spirituality and Art Loot, Khushi, New Delhi.
Art for Concern, Annual Art Show by Concern India Foundation, Shrishthi Art Gallery, Hyderabad.
'At Eye Level', Art Select, curated by Karim Adrian Van Rogers.
Journey V, Gallery Art & Soul, Mumbai.
'Annual Art Show' Pink Ginger Art Gallery, Mumbai.
Evolve, Tao Art Gallery.
Kumar Art Gallery.
Master's Corner, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. Organised by the Indian Contemporary Art Journal.
Moments, a group show to inaugurate the second space of Arushi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
2009 Living Art Expanse, O'Palacio Gallery, New Delhi.
Secret and Sacred, Polka Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Harmony, Arushi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Step By Step, Nitanjali, Alliance Francaise, New Delhi.
Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Florence Biennale, Florence.
DigiIndia by Teamwork, Gabaron Museum, Vallodalid, Spain.
The Shore Institute of The Contemporary Arts, New Jersey.
Satyagraha, presented by Teamwork, Vallodalid Spain.
2008 Beyond Boundaries, Visual Art, UK.
Ashtanayika - Curated by Dr. Alka Pande, Stainless Gallery, New Delhi.
Gandhi Centenary, curated by Teamwork, South Africa.
Dus Mahavidya- book release and group show. Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi.
Legends of India, ICCR, Kolkata.
Annanya, curated by Sushma Bahl , Bajaj Capital Art House,
Art for Freedom by Tehelka, AICON Art Gallery London.
Baisakhi Show, Polka Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Annual Show at Chawla Art Gallery, Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi.
'Continuum' presented Udayan Care, curated by Sushma Bahl
'Artscape', curated by Sushma Bahl, Epicentre, Gurgoan.
'Aspirations', Sahaj Snakalp, curated by Archana B Sapra, Epicentre, Gurgoan.
'Sakti - Women in the vanguard of Indian Art', Indian Art Circle, New Delhi.
2007 Florence Biennial, Florence.
'Fact and Fiction', curated by Sushma K Bahl at SW 1 Gallery, London.
'Devotion' by Galleria.
'Art Mart', curated by Priya Pall and Hema Singh at Art Mart, Nehru Centre, Mumbai.
'Confluence', by Gallery Art Pilgrim at the Trinity Towers, Mumbai.
'Vistaar', curated by Sushma K Bahl and presented by Limited Editions, at the Stainless Gallery, New Delhi.
'Devotion', by Art Positive at Alliance Française, New Delhi.
'Colors of Life' - by CPAA at Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai.
'Art for concern' - by CIF at Taj Palace, New Delhi.
'Variable Strokes' - works by Fourteen Contemporary Artists from India.
'Shiksha' Show by Round Table India at Hyatt, New Delhi.
2006 Gallery Collection at Art Heritage, New Delhi.
'Devotion' by Art Positive at India Habitat Center, New Delhi.
Gallery Collection by Art Heritage at Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi.
Seven Women Artists Show at Bharat Bhawan, New Delhi.
'Polka - Different Strokes', by Arushi Arts, Delhi and Mumbai.
'Mumbai Se' Contemporary Indian Art Show, by Art Positive
'Harvest' by Arushi Arts, New Delhi.
2005 'Devotion' by Art Positive at Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi.
'The Written Word' by Apparao Galleries Chennai.
'Journey Through Line, Colour and Images', by Krishna Gallery, LKA New Delhi.
Arushi Arts Summer Show 2005, at Shridhirani Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Two Man Show of drawings by Arushi Arts at Triveni Gallery, New Delhi.
'Art Felt - "The Mixed Bag" 100 years of CPI, Arpana Centre for Art & Literature, New Delhi.
'Harvest' Arushi Arts, Mumbai.
2004 'The Picture Family Show' at Apparao Galleries, Chennai.
'Collage' - 5 Women Artists' Show at Art Cafe Launch, Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi.
'Art for Vision' - Shankar Nathrayalya, LKG, New Delhi.
'Badal Raag', Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal.
'Harvest 2004' by Arushi Arts.
'Celebrating Women, 50 Women Artists' Show , Chemistry of Colours, Matigarh, New Delhi.
'Women on Women' by Indiacircle.com, New Delhi.
Fankar Group, Ravindra Bhavan, New Delhi.
Fankar Group, Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore.
2003 Absolute Art, Gurgaon, Haryana.
'Harmony' Show- 8, Nehru Centre, Mumbai.
'Expression of Art', Vyakt Gallery, New Delhi.
'Heart & Soul', PBC, New Delhi.
2002 'Harvest 2002', by Arushi Arts, New Delhi.
UNDCP hold show on art at British Council Library, New Delhi.
'Daffodils', at Grand Hyatt, New Delhi.
Karma Art Gallery, New Delhi.
Russian Centre of Art Culture & Sports, New Delhi.
2001 'Stree Shakti' at Habiart, Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
'Miniature Magic' at Habiart, Habitat Centre New Delhi.
'Reflections' at Swastika Gallery, New Delhi.
'Lines & Images' at Swastika Gallery, New Delhi.
'20 Women Artists' by Indo-RAFAS, Russian Centre, New Delhi.
'Kaleidoscope' ISU Art Gallery, Singapore.
'And Buddha Smiled Again' Masters Guild - AFAL, New Delhi.
'Man in Nature' Studio 55, New Delhi.
'Sphote' - Habiart, New Delhi • 'Aparajita' Vhai for Gujarat Earth Quake Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
'Group' by Sir Vincent Gallery, Bangalore.
2000 'Young Faces Of 2000' Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Calcutta.
'Art Folio' Chandigarh.
'Rainbow -1' Art Today, New Delhi.
'Rainbow -2' Art Today, New Delhi.
'Art Panorama' at CPLA, New Delhi.
1999 'Art Junction' Hotel Intercontinental, New Delhi.
'Sangraha' Group Show at CPLA, New Delhi.
'Annual Show' by Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Calcutta.
'Summer Show' at Art Today New Delhi.
1998 ANZ Grindlays Bank, New Delhi.
1997 Sahitya Kala Parishad, Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi
PUBLIC PROJECTS
2010 Commissioned works for the Delhi International Airport, GMR T3, 10 x 100 feet.
2010 Commissioned works for the newly constructed Domestic Airport, Mumbai.
2009 Commissioned works for the newly constructed International Airport, Mumbai.
2009 Yajurveda - an installation in steel, produced in collaboration with Jindal Steelworks (apprx. 7.5 ft x 3.6ft x 9.4 ft), installed at Manipal.
University, Karnataka
2009 Commissioned paintings for Ministry of Defence
2004 Worked on Frescoes - oil on fabric on the wall (approx.12ft x 4ft, and 12ft x 8ft)
FILMS
2011 Ouroborous-5min,Concept,direction,performance,presented by Gallery Nvya at Art Summit,New Delhi.
2010 ‘Swayam Siddha – Myth, Mind and Movement’ Cogito Ergo Sum and ‘What were you thinking about any ways’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
2010 What were you thinking anyways’, Art Mart, curated by Sushma Bahl, Epicentre, Gurgaon.
‘Swayam Siddha – Myth, Mind and Movement’ and ‘What were you thinking about any ways’, Gallery Time & Space, Bangalore.
2009 Swayam Siddha - Myth, Mind and Movement. Concept, performance and direction.
Winner of the Gold Award at the Florence Biennale, 2009.
2009 'What were you thinking about anyways' 8 mins Concept, performance and direction.
2006 '100 Miles' Northern Railways, Barog to Shimla, Centenary Year (directed) 28 mins Concept and direction.
ART FAIRS / FESTIVALS
2012 Beiging Biannale , Art Chennai 2012, Indian Art Fair,new Delhi 2012.
2011 India Art Summit ,Gallerie Nvya Shanghai Art Fair 2011,AjainMaranauchi Gallery, NYC.
2010 Kala Ghoda Festival, Mumbai, India.
2010 Indinox, Jindal Steel participation at the Stainless Steel Conference + Fair, Ahmedabad.
2010 Los Angeles Art Fair, USA.
2009 International Art Festival in Kathmandu.
2009 India Art Summit, New Delhi, India.
2009 ARCOMadrid, Spain.
2008 Art Basel.
Interactive sessions/Talks/Presentations/Conducting Workshops
2012 WIN,Rome.
Tedex Chennai, India.
IFRD, Mumbai, presented by Stree Shakti.
Presentation at the Interanational Womens Forum,Chennai.
Presentation and interactive session at the "Cross Over" the Indo Bangladesh.
2011 Presentation and an interactive session at NGMA Bangalore.
2010 Presentation and a interactive session at Kalakritti Gallery in Hyderabad.
OTHER PROJECTS
2012 StainGlass Doors with VLCC and Sonia Sareen.
2010 Aasana Art Chair Exhibition at Gallery Le Sutra.
2010 Art Tiger Project, Arts for the Tiger, New Delhi.
Invited as speaker on 'Harmony through Art' - Param Ekagrata Conference organized by the Rotary International - District 3010.
2009 Worked with autistic children at the Autistics Society, Dubai.
2009 Igniting Minds and Ideas: A Workshop in Tihar Prision, New Delhi with Latitude 28.
2009 Presentation of the Goddesses in Buddhisim at the foundation of SAARC Writers & literature SAARC Apex Body.
OTHER EDITIONS
2011 The Masters collections by People for Animals.
2007 Silk Scarves with imprints of conceptualized and signed art work, to be released by the Taj Group of Hotels in Jodhpur on the 26th of October 2007 Conceptualized art work printed on a glass lotus in collaboration with Klove for Limited Editions Gallery, 2007.
2007 Khushii India on Canvas 2007', collaborated with Twinkle Khanna.
28th October 2007, 'Khushii India on Canvas 2007', conceptualized artwork along with Twinkle Khanna.
'Rays of Light' Translation of a book on Anand Murti Guru Maa.
INSTALLATIONS
2012 Butterfly Rain with Kala Godha Festival,Mumbai with Art and Soul Gallery.
2011 India Art Festival,Mumbai with art and Soul Gallery.
Andpersona at Meridian Hotel,New Delhi.
Butterfly Rain with Andpersona at Meridian Hotel,New Delhi.
Ouroboros at the India Art Summit.
2009 Hiranyagarbha in metal wire installed in LKA,New Delhi.
Yajurveda in collaboration with Jindal steel.
ART CAMPS
2012 ASEAN Countries CROSS CURRENTS by ICCR in Darjeeling Art Chennai.
Art Industry by TATA Steel, Jamshedpur.Bali by Vihan Foundation.
2011 "Think Fest "Art for Freedom by Thelka Group.
International Symposium by SGVP in Gulburga,Karnatka,India.
LVPrasad Eye institute at Hyderabad.
Greece by Prakrit Gallery, Chennai.
Tata Steel Jamshedpur.
Gallery point of View,Mumbai at Burma.
2010 Popular Prakashan, Goa.
2010 Nirja Modi Art and Culture Foundation.
2010 Krishnakriti, Kalakriti Gallery, Hyderabad.
2008 Art Basel.
2007 Hyderabad by Gallery Space 2006 - Bali by Polka Art Gallery.
2006 Bharat Bhawan PrinMaker Camp, Bhopal.
2005 Whelams Boys School, Dehradun organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, Garhi, New Delhi.
2004 City Palace, Jaipur held by Art River 100 Years of the Kalka-Shimla Rail Track, Barog, Shimla by Northern Railways & Art River.
2003 Venu Eye Institute, New Delhi.
1983 Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi.
WORKSHOPS 2002 – 2005
'Wanderlust', by Karma Art Gallery, New Delhi.
'Art Voila' at Tivoli Garden, New Delhi.
'Joy of Colors' by Capital Court, New Delhi.
'UNDCP', New Delhi.
AUCTIONS
2012 Art Loot by Khushi Jai Vakeel Cancer Society India (Mumbai) by Naina Kanodia Art Chennai Treasure Trove by Jai Vakeel Group Concern India, New Delhi, Plan India, Mumbai.
2011 Treasure Trove Nanahi Chaan,by Badal Foundation Concern India,New Delhi,Mumbai India on Canvas by Khushi,New Delhi Cry, India in London,UK
2010 'The Treasure Trove' by Research Society for Care,Mumbai
2010 WIA Golden Ball, Inter-continental Hotel, Park Lane, London, U.K.
2010 'Confluence' with Prakrit Art and Rotary, Chennai
2009 Khushi, Art Loot, New Delhi
2009 Khushi, New Delhi
2006 Bonhams, U.K
COLLECTIONS
H.E. The President Mr. S.R. Nathan; Chairman of the Arts Council, Mr.Liu Thai Ker; and the Indian High Commissioner Mr. P. P. Shukla, Norway: H.E. the High Commissioner Mr. Arney Walther; ICCR; Camlin; UNDCP, Raj Niwas, Pondicherry: Northern Railways; Indian Railways; CTC; CCS India; Venu Eye Institute, Shankar Nethrayala; Bharat Bhawan Bhopal; Lalit Kala Akademi; Sahitya Kala Academy; Goa Museum of Art, Goa, TATA Steel, TATA Residency, VLCC, Jindal Stainless; Tata Residency, Manipal University; Pai Group, Leela Group of Hotels, TOI Group, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai; Rubin Museum, NYC,USA and art lovers in India and abroad.
PUBLICATIONS
Swayamsiddha, (Ed.) Alka Pande, published by Gallerie Nvya, 2009.
Dusmahavidya, (Ed.) Keshav Malik, published by Ravi Kumar Jain Publications, 2008.
Rays of Light' Translation of a book on Anand Murti Guru Maa 2001.
CONTRIBUTIONS & WRITINGS
2012 Sultana (centenary issue)AMU.
2011 Ek Disha by ASSOCHAM contribution of paintings.