Awdhesh Tamrakar’s work deals with movements, migration, and quests for identity, belonging, and home. His last name, Tamrakar, translates to “craftsperson of copper,” which signifies his family and community’s identity. The materials he uses in his practice are not merely for aesthetic or artistic purposes but also serve as an identity of his heritage. He employs a range of techniques and materials commonly used in the indigenous tradition of utensil making.
Tamrakar was born in Shahgarh (a small town between Khajuraho and Sanchi) Madhya Pradesh in 1989. He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the discipline of Sculpture from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University Baroda, in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Tamrakar has been awarded a Gold Medal from the Department of Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda in 2015, the Chinmoy Pramanik Memorial Award, Faculty of Fine Art, Baroda in 2015, and the Emerging Master Award, Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda in 2014.
His solo exhibitions include Dūr-darāz at Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi in 2022, Muted Mathaar: Supported by The Raza Foundation on the occasion of 100 years of S H Raza, held at Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2021, and Unfastened Association, was supported by SCZCC, Nagpur, held at Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda in 2016.
Some of his recent group shows and projects include, Indian Ceramic Triennale 2024; Art Mumbai 2023; DCAW 2023; Art Fair 2023; Thinking Matters, curated by Mario Dsouza, Space Studio Baroda, 2020; Heads in the cloud, Five Million Incidents, conceived in collaboration with Raqs Media Collective and organized by Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhawan, New Delhi and Kolkata,2020; Art and Science Dialogue, Collaboration project with TIFR Hyderabad, 2018; Madhyama curated by Akhilesh, Raza Foundation, Delhi,2018; ID-ENTITY Curated by Zero Gravity Collective, New Delhi, 2018; Displaced Places, Utsha Foundation, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 2017.
Tamrakar taught as a Guest Faculty in the Department of Fine Arts at S.N. School of Arts and Communication, Central University, Hyderabad, from 2018 to 2023.
Awdhesh lives and works between Hyderabad and Baroda.
CV
EDUCATION
2013-2015 M.V.A. (Sculpture ) Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, Gujarat
2009-2013 B.V.A. (Sculpture ) Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, Gujarat
2011 Master Potter Course from R. P. T. C. Gramodaya Sangh, Bhadrawati, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, India
AWARDS
2020 Mukhund Sakharam Bhand State Award by Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet & Kala Academy, Bhopal,MP
2016 Gold Medal for Excellence in M.V.A (Sculpture), Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, Gujarat
2015 Solo Show Sponsorship Award by South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur.
2015 Chinmoy Pramanik Memorial Award for Best Display in M.V.A. (Sculpture), Faculty of Fine Art, M.S. University of Baroda, Gujarat
2014 Emerging Master Award, Sarjan art gallery, Baroda, Gujarat
2014 third prize at Vibrant Gujarat national Education Summit at kanoria centre for art, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
WORK / ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2018 – 2023 Guest Faculty, Department of Fine Arts, S. N. School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana
2022 Board of Studies – Academic & Planing for Department of Sculpture, JNA&FA University, Hyderabad, Telangana
2021 External Jury Member End Semester Examination, Department of Sculpture, JNA&FA University, Hyderabad, Telangana
TALK AND PRESENTATION
2024 Presentation and interaction at Dhi Contemporary, Hyderabad
2018 Presentation and Interaction at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad, Telangana
2017 Presentation and interaction at Utsha Foundation for Contemporary Art, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Dūr-darāz, Shrine Empire, New Delhi
2021 Muted Mathaar: Supported by The Raza Foundation on the occasion of 100 years of S H Raza, held at Triveni Art Gallery, New Delhi
2015 Unfastened Association: Supported by South Central Zone Cultural Center, held at Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University of Baroda, Gujarat
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Indian Art Fair 2024, represented by Shrine Empire,NSIC exhibition ground, New Delhi
2024 Indian Ceramic Triennale, Arthshila, Okhala, New Delhi
2023 Delhi Contemporary Art Week, represented by Shrine Empire, Bikaner House, New Delhi
2023 Indian Art Fair 2023, represented by Shrine Empire,NSIC exhibition ground, New Delhi
2022 Delhi Contemporary Art Week, represented by Shrine Empire, Bikaner House, New Delhi
2021 Weaving Abstractions. Held at gallery 079 Stories, Ahmadabad, Gujarat
2020 Thinking Matter. Curated by Mario D’Souza at Space Studio, Art District, Baroda, Gujarat
2020 Asthabhuji. Curated by Annapurna M, at Gallery 78, Hyderabad, Telangana
2019 Words of Silence. Curated by Akhilesh Verma, at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai.
2018 Madhyama. Curated by Akhilesh Verma, supported by The Raza Foundation at Triveni Kala Sangam, Delhi.
2018 ID-ENTITY. Curated by Zero Gravity Collective at New Delhi.
2016 Emerging Palettes. Held at Shrishti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, Telangana.
2016 Hub 8: Statuettes & Trinkets. Held at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University, Baroda, Gujarat.
2015 28th National Exhibition of Contemporary Art, South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur, India
2014 Vibrant Gujarat national exhibition at Kanoria centre for art, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
RESIDENCIES AND PROJECTS
2020 Heads in the Cloud. An augmented Reality based mobile application. It was developed as a part of Five Million Incidents, a year-long series of events, Conceived in collaboration with Raqs Media Collective and Organized by Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhawan Delhi and Kolkata.
2018 Size: Art and Science Dialogue, Conceived and led by Dr. Baishali Ghosh, Collaborative project between TIFR and the Department of Fine Arts, S. N. School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, Telangana
2017 Displaced Places, residency project developed during one month stay at Utsha Foundation for Contemporary Art, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
WORKSHOPS / CAMPS
2021 Drawing Camp. Organized by Bharat Bhawan to celebrate the 39th Anniversary of Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal
2021 Rang Mandu: Young Visual Artist Painting Camp, organized by The Raza Foundation to celebrate 100 years of the modern Indian master Sayed Haider Raza at Mandu M.P.
2017 Sprit of Baroda, Scrap Metal Sculpture Camp organized by Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Vadodara, Gujarat
2015 National Stone Carving Camp, Organized by South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur and West Cultural Zone Udaipur at Shilpgram, Udaipur, Rajasthan
2013 Dandi Marchers’ Sculptures Workshop I, Part of The National Salt Satyagraha Memorial (NSSM) a project of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, advised by a High-Level Dandi Memorial Committee coordinated and implemented by IIT Bombay in association with an International Design Team, at Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Final Sculptures are installed as a part of the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial, at Dandi, Gujarat
2013 Alternative Photography workshop conducted by Kate Copeland(Dean and VP of Academic Affairs at Pacific orthwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon), visiting artist at Department of Graphic Art, Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University, Baroda, Gujarat
2013 Sound Art workshop, Conducted by Dr. Igal Myrtenbaum(composer, lecturer and educator) at Faculty of Fine arts, M.S.University, Baroda, Gujarat
2009 Video Art Workshop, at Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.University, Baroda, Gujarat
2009 Pottery art of Pokhran Under do and learn program at Indra Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal, India