Important Notice

Much of Krishnaraj Chonat’s work is a direct statement on the urban way of life. Chonat has worked with varied media – from acrylic on paper, to installations, to public art on the street. Through all of these however, the artist makes a conscious choice in his medium and his message. A strong sense of disillusionment is seen in much of his work, even though it may sometimes appear celebratory. The artist’s pearl encrusted chandeliers and...
Much of Krishnaraj Chonat’s work is a direct statement on the urban way of life. Chonat has worked with varied media – from acrylic on paper, to installations, to public art on the street. Through all of these however, the artist makes a conscious choice in his medium and his message. A strong sense of disillusionment is seen in much of his work, even though it may sometimes appear celebratory. The artist’s pearl encrusted chandeliers and sofa surfaces, for example, might seem rich and attractive, but there is something inherently unnatural about these objects devoid of use and context. As the artist explains, it is through such juxtapositions and combinations that he is able to raise concerns without being bound by narrative frameworks.

Through the fake pearls and fur that he includes in his mixed-media objects and installations, Chonat highlights the ways in which social acceptance is sought and reaffirmed through the use of certain materials, symbols or images, no matter their actual worth. In his shows ‘Ideal Living’ and ‘Sinister White’, the artist illustrated this superfluous nature of the nouveau riche and new age living by faking luxury, or rendering it in a completely redundant manner.

More recently, as a part of the ‘Public Arts Projects’ in New Delhi, Chonat used public space to once again make a strong statement about the concept of luxury, this time in the context of environmental degradation. His uprooted tree dangling above a bungalow on a busy street in New Delhi raises questions about urban development at the cost of Nature and also about relocation, uprootment and rehabilitation.

Born in 1973, Krishnaraj Chonat received his Bachelor’s degree from Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad, Bangalore, in 1994, and his Post-Diploma from the Faculty of Fine Arts at M. S. University, Baroda, in 1996. While in art school, he was awarded a scholarship by the Karnataka Lalit Kala Akademi as well as the Ramkumar Kejriwal Scholarship. Chonat’s most recent solo shows were 'Island', presented by GallerySke at Project 88, Mumbai, in 2007; 'Ideal Living' at GallerySke, Bangalore, in 2004; and 'Sinister White', Sakshi Gallery, Bangalore, in 2002. His work has been exhibited in several group including 'Mutant Beauty' at Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2008; 'Lush' presented by Gallery Ske, Bangalore, and Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, Miami, in 2007; and 'Made by Indians' at Gallerie Enrico Navarra, Paris, in 2006.

Chonat lives and works in Bangalore.

Read More
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site