Bose Krishnamachari is an internationally acclaimed Malayali painter and Artist-Curator based in Mumbai, India. He was born in 1963 at Magattukara village near Angamaly, Kerala. He had done his early schooling at GHSS Puliyanam. He took his BFA from Sir J J School of Art, Mumbai in (1991), and then completed his MFA from Goldsmiths College, University of London in(2000). He was a recipient of the award of the Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi(1985), British Council travel award (1993), Mid America Arts Alliance Award(1996), Chales Wallace India Trust Award (1999–2000), Life Time Fellowship Award- Kerala Lalita Kala Academy and was first runner up for the Bose Pacia Prize for Modern Art, New York, 2001. His work comprises vivid abstract paintings, figurative drawings, sculpture, photography, multimedia installations and architecture. Since 1985 he lives and works in Mumbai. Bose is the founder member and President of Kochi Biennale Foundation and Biennale Director of international exhibition of contemporary art, Kochi-Muziris Biennale.His paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. He also actively curates exhibitions and projects of fellow artists around India.The artist lives and works in Mumbai.
A multi-disciplinary artist, Krishnamachari has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. He also actively curates exhibitions and projects of fellow artists around India. Having arrived in Bombay in 1986, with only a prospectus of J.J School of Arts, Krishnamachari feels strongly about supporting the younger generation of artists, to make inroads in the contemporary art world. By curating and conceptualizing exhibitions (such as Bombay X 1'7, Bombay Boys, KAAM, the much acclaimed Double-Enders, a show comprising works by a host of artists from Kerala, MaaRKERS , "Soft Spoken" and "SPY-07") and creating a platform for younger, lesser known talent, Krishnamachari has introduced many young artists to the urban art circles and helped to give them visibility in the larger cities.
Krishnamachari has held solo exhibitions at the British Council Division, Mumbai and at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai. He has also participated in several group shows including 'The Contemporary Sultanate' at Exhibit 320 (2012); 'The Annual' and 'Love is a 4 Letter Word' in 2011, both at Latitude 28 Gallery; 'Continuum' in Singapore by Latitude 28 and Art Cinammon (2011); ‘Drawings: Group Show’ at the Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, in 1990, and ‘Romor City’, Tokyo, 2001. He was represented by Exhibit 320 at Art Stage Singapore in 2012.
He was a recipient of the award of the Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi, and was first runner up for the Bose Pacia Prize for Modern Art, New York, 2001.
Solo shows
2010 'No', 1 x 1 Contemporary, Dubai
2009-10 'LaVA', (Laboratory of Visual Arts), a Traveling Installation Project at Gallery BMB, Mumbai
2008-09 'To Let – White Ghost', Kashi Art Cafe, Kochi
2008 'Ghost', Aicon Gallery, London and Bodhi Art, Mumbai
2007 'LaVA', (Laboratory of Visual Arts), a Traveling Installation Project at Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Kochi, Baroda and New Delhi
2006 ‘Ghost : Transmemoir’, Gallery ArtsIndia, New York, Lille, France
2005 ‘Exist’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Museum Gallery, Mumbai
2003 ‘De Curating (Indian Contemporary Artist’s)’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, Durbar Hall, Cochin, Sumukha Gallery, Bangalore
1999 'Field Sakshi’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
1999 'Amuseum Memoirs', National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
1997 'Amuseum Documents.' Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1996 'Dandy’, Y. B Chavan Centre Gallery and Lakeeren, Mumbai
1995 'Objects of Attention' Academy of fine Arts and Literature, inaugural show of Arpana Kaur Gallery, New Delhi.
1993 'Amuseum' organized by Prema Srinivasan and Suchi Ebrahim, Chennai
1992 'Amuseum', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Sakshi Gallery, Bangalore
1991 'Music of the Cubes' British Council Gallery, Mumbai
1990 Sir. J.J, School of Art Gallery, Mumbai
1989 Kerala Kala Peetom, Cochin
Group shows
2012 '2 + 2 = 5', The Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Mapmakers: The Evolution of Contemporary Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2012 'The Contemporary Sultanate', presented by Exhibit 320 at One Style Mile, Olive, New Delhi
2011-12 'Reprise 2011', Aicon Gallery, New York
2011 'Census of Sense', Exhibit 320, New Delhi
2011 'Love is a 4 Letter Word', Latitude 28, New Delhi
2011 Gallery Sumukha, Chennai
2011 'Against All Odds: A Contemporary Response to the Historiography of Archiving Collecting, and Museums in India', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
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 'A. SYCO', The Viewing Room, Mumbai
2010 'Beyond Object hood', presented by Gandhara Art Gallery at Nandalal Bose Hall, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Kolkata
2010 1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai
2009 'Vistaar II', presented by Seven Arts Limited at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi
2009 'In The Mood For Paper', F2 Gallery, Beijing
2009 'Godown', The Guild, Mumbai
2009 'Zip Files', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2009 'Threshold: Forging Narratives in South Asian Contemporary Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2008-09 'Hot Shots', The Viewing Room, Mumbai
2008-09 'Signs Taken for Wonders: Recent Art from India and Pakistan', Aicon Gallery, London
2008-09 'Mutant Beauty', Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'November', 1x1 Contemporary, Al Quoz, Dubai
2008 'Everywhere Is War (And Rumors of War)', Bodhi Art, Mumbai
2008 Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Pastiche: Exhibition of Paintings', Chaithanya Art Gallery, Kochi
2007-08 ‘India Oggi – Milano’, Spazio Oberdan, Italy
2007-08 Indian Art at Swarovski ‘Crystal World’ Show, 1st Exhibition, Tirol – Österreich, Austria
2007 ‘Gateway Bombay’, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
2007 ‘Young Guns’, Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2007 ‘India ! The Best of Indian Contemporary Art’, Galerie Helene Lamarque, Paris
2007 'Strangeness', Anant Art Gallery, Kolkata
2007 'India 20', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2006 'Drawing Show an Act of Art II', Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai
2006 ‘The Shape That Is’, organized by Bodhi Art, Jendela and Concourse, Esplanade, Singapore
2005-06 ‘Kaam’, Gallery Arts India, New York, Palo Alto
2005 ‘Double-Enders’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Museum Gallery, Mumbai; Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi; Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore; Durbar Hall, Kochi
2005 ‘Paths of Progression’, organized by Bodhi Art and Saffronart, Mumbai at Mumbai, New York, Singapore, New Delhi
2005 ‘We Are Like This Only’, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi
2005 ‘Confluence 2005’, ArtsIndia gallery, New York
2003-05 ‘Ideas and Images’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2004 ‘Anticipations’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Museum Gallery, Mumbai
2004 ‘Bombay x 17’, Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi
2004 ‘Bombay Boys’, Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2004 ‘Vanitas Vanitatum’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2002 ‘Rumour City (Mutations)’, TN Probe, Tokyo
2002 ‘Tribute to Picasso’, Kala Ghoda Fair, organized by Fine Art Resource.
2002 ‘Tribute to Picasso’, Guild, Art Gallery, Mumbai
2002 ‘CAN’, Habitat Centre, New Delhi
2001 ‘Human Factor’, 4th anniversary exhibition by Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai
2001 Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA), organized by Sharon Apparao, New Delhi.
2001 ‘Indian Contemporary Art’ ,organized by Saffron Art and Apparao Galleries at Los Angeles
2001 Sudarshan Shetty, Sunil Gawde and Bose Krishnamachari, Apparao Gallery , New Delhi
2001 'Memos for the New Millennium from Artists of Molting Worlds’, Birla Acadamy of Art and Culture, Mumbai
2000 ‘Artists from Kerala’, Lakeeren, Mumbai
2000 'Brain Storm', Goldsmiths College, London
2000 'Embarkations' Sakshi Gallery,
1998 ‘50 Years of Indian Art’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
1998 'Presence of the Past’, Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai
1997 'Persistence of Memory', Linda Benglis, Charles, and Lindal Brown and Bose Krishnamachai’, Nature Morte, New Delhi.
1996 'West Wing Story' an Open Studio Installation at Head Lands Center for Visual Art, Sausalito, California
1995 'Contemporary Miniature', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA) Gallery, Kolkata
1995 'Recent Trends in Indian Art’, Vandhera Art Gallery, New Delhi
1995 'Bombay: An Artist's Impression', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1994 'Window’, Gallery Leela, Mumbai
1993 An Exhibition for 'Sparrow', Artist's Centre, Mumbai
1993 'Circling the Square', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1993 ‘Imprints on our Time’, Jehangir Art Gallery. Mumbai
1992 'Artists Against Communalism', Sir J.J School of Art & Shivaji Park, Mumbai (traveled to 15 other cities in India)
1990 'Drawings', Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
Joint shows
1995 With Andrea Anastasio, organized by Italian Council, Mumbai at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
Participations
2012 'Art for Humanity', Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
2012 'Art Stage Singapore 2012', Singapore presented by Exhibit 320, New Delhi
2011-12 'Indian Highway', in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery, London and the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo at MAXXI: Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome
2011 ‘Artzuid 2011’, Avenues of Berlage’s Plan-Zuid, Amsterdam
2011 'Of Gods and Goddesses, Cinema, Cricket: The New Cultural Icons of India', Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'Art Stage Singapore', Singapore presented by 1 x 1 Gallery, Dubai
2010 'Master’s Corner', organized by Indian Contemporary Art Journal at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; India International Art Fair, New Delhi
2010 'Roots', 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai at The Park, Chennai
2009 'Expressions at Tihar', Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
2009 'ARCOmadrid', Spain as curator for 'Panorama: India'
2008-09,10,11 'Indian Highway', a Traveling Exhibition presented in Collaboration with Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo at Serpentine Gallery, London; Herning Museum of Contemporary Art (HEART), Herning, Denmark; Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon
2008 Annual Show, Triva Contemporary, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
2008 Presented by 1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai at Art Paris, Abu Dhabi
2008 'Harvest 2008', organized by Arushi Arts at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi
2007 Presented by Willem Baars Projects at Art Amsterdam, Amsterdam
2006 ‘Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2002 'Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2001 'Harmony Show’, Nehru Centre. Mumbai
1991 'Monsoon Show' Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
Honours & Awards
2000 Charles Wallace (India) Award to do MA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London
1996 Mid America Arts Alliance Award (MAAA) International Fellowship for Extensive Travel and Residency to the United States of America.
1993 Recipient of the British Council Travel Award to the United Kingdom
1991&92 Bombay Art Society Award, Mumbai
1991 Special Award from the University of Bombay for securing highest marks at BFA examination, Mumbai
1991 Face. of 90s. in Indian art published by 'Debonair' magazine, selected by Shireen and Khorshid Gandhi of Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
1991 Gold Medal, Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai
1986-91 Sir JJ. School of Art Merit Scholarship
1985 Kerala Lalit Kala Akademy Award