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Alwar Balasubramaniam | |
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| Born | 1971 (age 52–53) |
| Nationality | Indian |
Alwar Balasubramaniam (born 1971), commonly known as "Bala," is an Indian artist Known for his sculptures, paintings, and printmaking.
Bala was born in Tamil Nadu, India. He obtained a BFA from the Government College of Arts, Chennai in 1995, initially specializing in printmaking. Following his graduation, he furthered his studies at the Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop (EPW) and the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, Vienna, focusing on prints and paintings. Subsequently, his artistic direction evolved during his residency at the MacDowell Colony in Massachusetts, where he transitioned towards sculpture and installation work in the early 2000s. [ citation needed ]
In 2002, Bala's inaugural solo exhibition in the United States was hosted at the Talwar Gallery in New York City. The exhibition showcased sculptures crafted from casts of his own body, monoprints, and a heat-sensitive artwork that unveiled itself only under specific temperatures. Bala's artistic exploration commences with an interrogation of perception, culminating in a redefined comprehension of preconceived notions. Infusing his works with a firm conceptual foundation, he exhibits a playful approach to execution. Over the course of his career, Bala has exhibited his creations at both the Talwar Gallery in New York and New Delhi.
Bala's noteworthy exhibitions include Sk(in) [1] at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. [2] For this showcase, Bala conceived a large-scale steel sculpture installed outdoors. Comprising intricately welded steel components, the sculpture evokes imagery reminiscent of a tree trunk or the human heart. Its interior elements, titled Wound, Hidden Sight, and Untitled, interact with the surrounding walls in three distinct sections. The artworks within the exhibition collectively explore the concept of skin's reversibility, its presence as an exterior covering juxtaposed with its allusion to internal depth. Additionally, Bala has participated in significant group exhibitions such as the 50th Anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Contemplating the Void in 2010, [3] and On Line at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from 2010–2011. [4]
Bala’s works have been exhibited in museums, art festivals, and galleries worldwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), New York, NY; [5] The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, NY; [6] The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; [7] Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; [8] Mori Art Museum, Japan; [9] Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India; [10] Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington; [11] Essl Museum, Austria; [12] 1st Singapore Biennale; [13] École des Beaux Arts, Paris, France; [14] National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia; [15] and the 18th Biennale of Sydney, Australia. [16] Bala has been a guest lecturer at the Art Department of Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and a featured speaker at TED. [17]
Bala's art typically doesn't reference current social or geographic settings. Critics say this contributes to his slower global recognition, especially compared to artists who highlight their cultural identity more prominently. [18] Bala's artistic focus centers on the human body and its interaction with the material environment, particularly emphasizing intangible elements such as light, air, and shadow, which shape the perception of physical sensations. [19] Bala's artwork explores existential inquiries concerning self and the complexities of our reality. His pieces delve into questions about the subjective nature of perception, the ambiguity surrounding beliefs in the unseen, and the relationship between our bodies and our environment. Through his art, Bala offers insights into these inquiries, challenging viewers' perceptions and introducing alternative perspectives. Additionally, many of Bala's compositions engage with the concept of Energy, the vital yet imperceptible force underpinning life. While his earlier works symbolically depicted energy, his later pieces suggest its presence indirectly, leaving its effects as the sole indication. Installations like Energy Field (2009) or Link (2009) physically manifest various forms of energy while obscuring their origins, highlighting the complex interplay of unseen forces within the physical realm.
Often using his own body as a basis for his sculptures, Bala engages in a profound, but not humourless, investigation into the metaphysics of selfhood. [20]
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