Baiju was born in the year 1956 in Kerela. He is known to have pioneered the intermedia art in India. He harps on the workings of a mysterious inner universe through his paintings. Initially, Baiju Parthan resisted a career as an artist. "In Kerala," he explains, "you are what your work is. And in Kerala's Communist schema, the artist is at the lowest rung of society." Parthan began as an engineer, but was drawn into the world of art in 1974, when he stumbled onto a book detailing the history of Western art. "With that book," he says, "the chronology and the institution of art became known to me." He became familiar with the movements of Impressionism, Expressionism, and so forth, and this new knowledge nourished his interest in painting. Parthan has combined his painterly concerns with his explorations of cyberspace to produce a series of provocative, richly textured installations. Initially Baiju Parthan resisted a career as an artist. "In Kerala," he explains, "if you want to be an artist, you are of no good to the society. Being an artist is self-indulgence." He says “Painting gave me self worth.” Parthan went to Goa and enrolled in a five-year course in the fine arts, running from 1978-1983. Parthan began to study the Indian mystical arts, exploring tantra, ritual arts, and Indian mythology. Simultaneously, Western art continued to exert an influence. In the early 1980s, Parthan decided to quit painting that’s when he enrolled in a course on comparative mythology at Bombay University, and began working as a writer and illustrator. He returned to painting in the early 1990s, when he began to explore the imagery of mandalas and Tibetan tangas. In 1995, Parthan began to study computers, learning hardware engineering, building his own machine, and creating programs. Parthan has combined his painterly concerns with his explorations of cyberspace to produce a series of provocative, richly textured installations. Baiju Parthan's works focus on the instrumentalization of nature for human use and consumption. Parthan has held several successful shows in India, China, Germany and the U.K. . According to Baiju Parthan, reality is what you tend to make of it, and it’s up to you to extract the kind of meaning from it, based on your perceptual framework’s peculiarities. ‘You look at the world on basis of who and what you are!’ He looks to generate fresh metaphors and symbols that have the potential to expand the range of meanings that we can wrestle out of life and reality. The artist worked with traditional media as in painting on canvas as well as new media which range from interactive programming based art as well as large scale prints on metallic surfaces. Both these areas pose their own challenges and also expand the scope of what he can say. Parthan lives and works in Mumbai.
Education
2007 Master in Philosophy, University of Mumbai
Postgraduate Diploma in Comparative Mythology
1978-83 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), Goa College of Art, Goa
1976 Bachelor in Science (Botany)
Solo shows
2011 'Dislocation: Milljunction Part 2', Aicon Gallery, London
2010 'Milljunction: Paintings and Photo-Works by Baiju Parthan', Aicon Gallery, New York
2007 ‘Liquid Memory + Rant’, New Media Installation at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2006 ‘Source Code’, organized by Art Musings, Mumbai at Museum Art Gallery, Mumbai
2005 ‘Vapour’, New Media Prints, The Guild Gallery, Mumbai
2002 Gallery Espace, New Delhi
2002 Fine Art Company, Mumbai
1999 ‘Brahma’s Homepage – Paintings, Objects and Cyber Stuff’, Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
1997 Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
1997 Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore
1997 Apparao Galleries, Chennai
1996 Chaze Gallery, Goa
1992 Masterpiece Gallery, New Delhi
1992,93,95 Sophia Duchesne Gallery, Mumbai
Group shows
2012 'Mapmakers: The Evolution of Contemporary Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2011-12 'Reprise 2011', Aicon Gallery, New York
2011 'Adbhutam: Rasa in Indian Art', Centre of International Modern Art(CIMA), Kolkata
2011 Gallery Sumukha, Chennai
2011 'Melange', The Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata
2011 'Pause: A Collection', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'High-Light', presented by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai at The Oberoi, Gurgaon
2011 'Tech-Cut-Edge-Revelations', Ashna Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Reprise', Aicon Gallery, New York
2010 'Looking Glass: The Existence of Difference', Twenty Indian Contemporary Artists presented by Religare Arts Initiative, New Delhi in collaboration with American Centre; British Council; Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
2010 'Changing Skin', presented by The Fine Art Company at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai
2010 'Constructed Realities', The Guild, Mumbai
2010 'The Evolution of the Species', Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2010 Art Musings, Mumbai
2010 'By George', presented by Cherry Art Foundation at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, New Delhi
2010 'Symbols and Metaphors', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2010 'The Way We Are', Mon Art Gallerie, Kolkata
2010 'Size Matters or Does it?', Latitude 28, New Delhi
2009 'Living of the Grid', Anant Art Centre, New Delhi
2009 'Retrieval Systems', Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre; Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
2009 'Sacred and Secular', India Fine Art, Mumbai
2009 'Harvest 09: Part II', Arushi Arts, New Delhi
2009 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2009 'Zip Files', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2009 'Threshold: Forging Narratives in South Asian Contemporary Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2008 'Third_Life', Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai
2008 ‘Everywhere Is War (and Rumors of War)’, Bodhi Art, Mumbai
2008 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Freedom: Sixty Years After Indian Independence', Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2007-08 ‘Polyphonies’, Gallery Hosp, Tirol – Österreich, Austria
2007 'Gallery Collection', Bodhi Art, Singapore
2007 ‘Young Guns’, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2006 ‘Altered Realities’, Gallery Arts India, New York
2006 ‘Strangeness’, Anant Art Gallery, Kolkata
2006 'Making of Divinity', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2005 ‘Paths of Progression’, organized by Saffronart and Bodhi Art, New Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, New York
2005 ‘Alchemy’, organized by Art Musings, Mumbai
2005 ‘Kaam’, organized by Gallery Arts India, New York
2004 ‘Along The X – Axis : Video Art from India and Pakistan’, Apeejay Media Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Art on Paper’, Royal College of Art, London
2001 ‘Indian Contemporary Art – Seven Degrees’, organized by Saffronart and Apparao Galleries, Laguna, California
2000 ‘Family Resemblances : Nine Approaches To A Mutable Self’, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai
2000 ‘Intersections : Seven Artistic Dialogues Between Abstraction and Figuration’, The Guild, Mumbai
2000 ‘Exile and Longing, Artists from Kerala’, Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
2000 ‘Icons of the Millennium’, organized by Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2000 ‘Art and Technology ‘The Magazine Show’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
1999 ‘Images and Ideas’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
1998 ‘Gegenwartskunst aus Indien’, Exhibition of Indian Contemporary Art (The Harsh Goenka Collection), Leverkusen, Germany
1997 ’50 Years of Indian Contemporary Art’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1996 ‘Within The Frame’, Indian Contemporary Art, organized by Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1996 ‘Chamatkara’, Indian Contemporary Art’, organized by Whitley’s Gallery, London with Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1996 ‘Four Visions’, The Gallery, Hong Kong
1995 ‘Duo Show’, Sarina Tang Gallery, New York
Joint shows
2011 'Variable Operatives' with Prayas Abhinav at The Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai
Participations
2012 'Small is Beautiful', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2012 'Synergy 2012', 12th Anniversary Show, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2011-12 'India: Lado a Lado / Arte Contemporânea Indiana (India: Side by Side / Indian Contemporary Art)', part of the Exhibition ÍNDIA! presented by Brazilian Ministry of Culture and Banco do Brasil at Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro; Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, São Paulo; SESC Belenzinho, São Paulo and Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Brasília
2011 'Of Gods and Goddesses, Cinema, Cricket: The New Cultural Icons of India', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2011 '1:3:1- Part I', W+K Exp, New Delhi
2011 'The Intuitive: Logic Revisted', from the Osians Collection at The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland
2010 'Go See India', part of India-Sweden Cultural Exchange Program presented by Emami Chisel, Kolkata at Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata; Vasa Konsthal and Gallery-Scandinavia, Gothenburg
2010 'Contemporary Printmaking In India', presented by Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'The 11th Hour: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art from India / Diaspora', Tang Contemporary, Beijing
2009 'Expressions at Tihar', Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
2009 'Beyond Globalization', Beyond Art Space, Beijing
2009 'Contemporary Art from India', Palais Benedictine, Fecamp, France supported by Gallerie 88, Kolkata
2009 Pulse New York, presented by Aicon, New York
2009 'Arte Fiera 2009', Bologna represented by The Guild, Mumbai
2008 '101 Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair 2008', represented by The Guild, Mumbai
2008 'Harvest 2008', organized by Arushi Arts at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi
2005 Arad Biennale, Romania
2001 Residency at Seven Degrees Gallery, Laguna, California, USA- August-September 2001, Arranged by Saffronart and Apparao Galleries
1999 9th Asian Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
New – Media Installations
2005 NRLA – Live Art Festival , Midland, Perth , Australia
2005 ‘FLOW – Instant Karma Algorithm – 02’, Interactive Digital Video Data Projection, New Moves Live Art Festival, Perth
2004 ‘FLOW – Instant Karma Algorithm – 01’, Interactive Digital Video Data Projection, New Moves Live Art Festival, Glasgow
2004 ‘CODE’, as part of ‘ZOOM ! – Art in Contemporary India’, Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal
2003 ‘FEED – What You See Is What You Get – 01’, Khoj International Artists Workshop, Bangalore
2002 ‘A Diary of the Inner Cyborg’, (ADIC) organized by Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, as part of ‘Under Construction : New Developments in Asian Art’, Japan Foundation Forum, Tokyo
2002 ‘A Diary of the Inner Cyborg’, (ADIC), Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich, London
2002 ‘CODE’, Interactive Digital Installation, as part of ‘Kapital und Karma : Recent Positions in Indian Art’, Kunsthalle Wien, Austria
2002 ‘Necessary Illusions with 24 Cups of Coffee’, Interactive Projection, New Moves Live Art Festival, Glasgow, UK
2001 ‘Leap Into and Across’, a Collaborative Video Installation, National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai
2001 ‘A Diary of the Inner Cyborg : Asystole – Disrupting the Flow’, an Interactive Digital Installation, Fine Art Company, Mumbai
2000 ‘Necessary Illusions with 24 Cups of Coffee’, Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
2000 ‘CODE’, Interactive Digital Installation, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2000 ‘The Crossing’, as part of installation for ‘Making an Entrance’, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai
Honours & Awards
2001 Artist in Residency, Gallery Seven Degrees, Laguna, California
2000 Nominee for Artist of the Year, Sotheby’s, London
1981 Goa Lalit Kala Academy for Award for Artist of the Year, Goa
1978 – 81 Lalit Kala Akademi Merit Prize