1976 : Born in Kochi.
1998 : BFA in Painting, College of Fine Arts , Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala, India.
Madhu Venugopalan, an Indian contemporary artist, articulates this displaced and camouflaged world of progress and development through the evocation of an object/ive world that exists only in memories, sub-cultures and in the underground acts of cultural resistance. In his latest suite of works, Madhu speaks to the audience/viewer, using a different linguistic system, which sounds apparently archaic but alluring, remote and silent but intensely captivating. The objects depicted in these paintings tickle our memories with a sense of familiarity and at the same time they poke at our ignorance, which cannot exactly locate these representational images within a familiar linguistic system. The artist subtly forwards a challenge before the viewer; a challenge to identity the objects and more importantly, the contexts of their existence and alienation.
The apparently innocent looking objects and tools help Madhu to establish two points which are pertinent to understand the contemporary politics and culture. The images that Madhu creates are the images of tools or machineries that were used in the primitive industrial societies where small scale industrial productions helped the workers to earn for their lives either by bartering their products or through engaging themselves into a self- contained commercial market. These tools were a part and parcel of their lives and the workers were not alienated from what they used to produce.People made coir, clothes and organic fiber out of it. Today many people do not even know what these tools were used for.
Madhu has been working on the images from his intimate memories, which are the memories of several people from the social fringes. People from the social fringes do not necessarily stand in for the people who are evacuated from their rightful lands or properties. It could be people who are self-exiles from their own mainstream abodes and live a life from the fringes with alternative philosophies. Madhu as an artist belong to both the categories. He is a displaced one as he moved from his home state in Kerala to Delhi. He is a self-exile as he discarded his mainstream comforts and chose to live an alternative life style. Madhu believes that people like him live in a permanent state of ‘hanging’, sort of unanchored life. They belong and do not at the same time. Most of the works by Madhu show this hanging nature as they are seen horizontally suspended.
Presently lives & works in Kerala.
Solo shows
2014:RECLUSE’SSONATA.,Art Hub AbuDhabi.works done during One month Indian Art Residence
2010: Reassurance, Gallery Blue Spade, Bangalore.
2009:’Vernacular/Suspended’, Palette Art Gallery ,New Delhi.,
1999: Zen Studio Gallery ,Eramalloor, Alappuzha
1998: :DH Art Gallery Kochi.
CURATION:
2013 : ‘HAIL’ Curated by Madhu V. Organised by Celebrate KeralamHappiness Festival 2013. At MNF Museum of Art & Kerala History, Edappally, Kochi.
BIENNALE
2008:’ Space &Place’13th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh.PresentedbyCentralLalitKalaAkademiNewDelhi.
2014:MALAYALAM PROJECT , a Partner Project of Kochi Muzris Biennale 2014-15,
2014:UNMARKED , collateral project by Gallery Art Villey in Kochi Muzris Biennale 2014-15
Residencies
2015:Kashi Art Residency,kochi.
2014:Art Hub Indian Art Month,Abu Dhabi.
2007;'08: Swaswara Art Residency. CGH Earth Experience.Gokarnam
Group shows
2019:Green Pastures and Urban streets, curated by Pranamita Bargohain, Gallery Art Pilgrim Gurgaon.
2019:Between the lines, tribute to Manoj Nair, Gallery 27, kochi
2018:Art for concern ,Habitate centre Newdelhi
2018: Mapping Frontiers ,curated by Lina Vincent Sanish, Kalakritirt Gallery Hydrabad
2017: Art Human, Curated by Sreedevi S kartha, Triva Contemporary, Tvm.
2017:Long Story Short , Palette Art Gallery New Delhi
2017: ‘a body of flows ‘, Triva contemporary, Tvm.
2017: Every body is the other no one is himself’, Gallery 27. Kochi.
2016:’Another Life is Possible’curated by AjiAdoor,Pagan Fest ,Kerala Museum Kochi.
2016:New Collections Gallery Time & Space Bangalore.
2016:’No Man’s land’, Gallery white Walls, Ernakulam.
2015:Land,Myth and Culture ,Art Houz ,Chennai
2015:Kashi Art Residency show ,Kashi Art Gallery Fort Kochi.
2015:NH7+47 South Sajourn-Curated by MuktaAhluwaliaBedi,at Art*ry Space, Dubai.
2015:International Sand art Fest.Alapuzha.
2015:’Pada’,SreeSankara University .LalithkalaAkademi Gallery
2015: Transformation/Healing,Atlantic Health Care centre, by SIPMA
2014: Dubai Art Fair, Dubai, Presented by Gallery 1000A New Delhi.
2014: Swab, International Art Fair, Barcelona ,Presented by Gallery 1000A. NewDelhi
2014 : Art Gwangju 2014 at Gwangju Korea, Presented by Gallery1000A ,New Delhi.
2014:Busan Art Show ,Busan Korea, Presented By Gallery1000A. New Delhi.
2013:Opening Show at Kochi International AirPort Art gallery. By Kerala LalitKalaAkademi
2013: HimagiriViharam,Orthic Creative Centre,Kochi.
2013: Clean Ganga Clean Himalaya,Habitate Centre New Delhi.Organised by AbhedaGangaMaiya Ashram Haridwar.
2013: ‘HAIL ‘ Curated by Madhu V. Organised by Celebrate KeralamHappiness Festival 2013.
2012: REMENISCENCE a Visual tribute to NilamboorBalettan ,conceptualised& Designed by CAC. Lalitkalaakademi ,Calicut.
2012:BETWEENDRAKNESS&MAGIC..Examining the Kerala Metaphor,Cima Gallery ,Kolkata .
2012:SMALL IS BIG, Exhibition of Contemporary miniatures ,curated by AnoopKamath at DH Gallery Kochi.presented by ART ESTATE
2012: SPEAKING HOUSE Curated by RadhaGomaty, presented By IFAWPCA,at DH Gallery Kochi,
2011:A4ARPLE group show,GalleryRagini ,New Delhi.
2011:THE BIG PICTURE group show curated by Mr.AbhishekPoddar for foundation for Indian Artists at Leela palace & Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.
2011: Museum Collections Curated by Mr.Johny ML Art Konsolt Art Gallery New Delhi.
2011: Collections show, Palette art gallery, New Delhi.
2011: Modi Foundation art Exhibition ,New Delhi.
2010: Group show Orthic Creative Centre&Nanappa Art gallery ,Kochi
2009: Indian art Summit, palette Art Gallery, NewDelhi
2009:’Metamorphosis’Philllis Weston &AnneyBolling Art Gallery,Cincinnati
2008:’ Space &Place’13th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh.PresentedbyCentralLalitKalaAkademiNewDelhi
2008:ArtContemplate,Coimbatore
2008:India Art Summit,Palette Art Gallery.NewDelhi.
2008:July show ,The Guild, Mumbai.
2008;Annual Exhibition Kerala LlithakalaAkademy,DH gallery kochi.
2008;"Despute Unresolved" DH Gallery Kochi
2007: "DREAMS QUESTIONED"byzen studio gallery at D.H Gallery ,Kochi
2007: "Fragments" Gallery Beyond , Mumbai
2007 :"Real 2007"Rabindrabhavan, New delhi
2007: Opening Show Chaithanya Art Gallery, Kochi
2007:"South by South West "Travencore Art GAllery, New Delhi
2007:State Exhibition Kerala Lalita Kala akademi,Kochi
2006 : Exhibition of Terracotta Sculptures & December show, Orthic , Kochi
2002:"Valley of Illuminations" ,Dravidia art Gallery, Kochi
2002: Drawing Show, Draveedia Art & Performance Gallery,Kochi.
2000,1996,:StateExhibition,KeralaLalitakalaAkademi,D H Gallery , Kochi .
1995, 1998 :KeralaKalaPeetom& Galleria Mareechika, Kochi. . .
Camps
2019: Layam Art Camp ,Kerala Lalitkala Akademi
2019: Art Camp ,keralaLalitkalaAkademi
2015:National painters Camp Manipal University, Karnataka laitkalaAkademi
2015:Kudagu Artist camp,keralalalitkalaAkademi,
2014:ArtCamp,by Centre for Elephant Welfare ,at Wayanadu.
2013: Wild Life Artist camp Vallakadavu, Periyar Tiger Reservoir, Thekkady.
2013:Clean Ganga Clean Himalaya, At Barsu Himalayas Organized by AbhedaGangamaiyaAsharmHaridwar.
2012: SPEAKING HOUSE, Eco Art Camp By IFAWPCA,Curated by RadhaGomaty at Marari Beach.
2011:Alva’s Art Camp, Moodbidri,Mangalore
2007: National Art Camp. KohimaBy National LalithkalaAkademi. New Delhi.
2006:State Artist Camp Kerala LalitakalaAkademiTrissur.
2006: Terracotta Sculptors Camp, Kerala Kalapeetom&Terracraft.Kochi
2000, State Artists Camp Kerala LalitKalaAkademi
1998,2001,: Kerala Kalapeetom<Kochi
1998: International Art Students camp, BHU varanasi. .
AWARD
2008 State Award For the painting "Debate1"
Presently lives & works in Ernakulam.