Radhika Agarwala
(b. 1985)
Radhika Agarwala’s practice finds her exploring concepts of fragility and permanence – using material from both nature and civilization. Uprooted trees and branches share space with paper, epoxy-resin, bronze and concrete. Found objects – both organic and inorganic, are cast with substances they would not normally interact with. Whatever the material, or the distortion or hybridization forced on it, in the end her work asks a simple question – “Who would win if Nature starts to fight back?” and the answer to that is a quick – “Not us”. Often rich in mythical references, her drawings, sculptures and installations deal with the fossilization of memory. Her practice draws attention to a newly discovered environment and personal journeys of being uprooted from one to another unknown territory. She approaches cities as forests-turn-epileptic wastelands and landscapes with distorted eco-systems. Man’s constantly growing hunger for “productive space” has resulted in mass deforestation and the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of species of plants, animals and insects over the decades – Radhika’s work is testament to this loss. She draws inspiration and collects samples of nature from every city she lives in, incorporating them into her practice.
Radhika Agarwala completed her MFA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, London (2011), MFA in Painting from University of Florida, College of Fine Art (2010) , Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Painting from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2008) followed by BFA in Painting from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata (2007). Her recent solo exhibitions include For Two Lovers, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2013) and Encounter, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2012). Recent group exhibitions include All The Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020), LATITUDE 28’s segment of DCAW (2019) LATITUDE 28’s booth at India Art Fair (2019) and Art Exhibit, The India Story 4.0, Kolkata (2018) and Babur Ki Gai, LATITUDE 28, New Delhi (2018).
