Biraaj Dodiya

Biraaj Dodiya is an Indian contemporary artist. Through her poetic and painterly approach, Biraaj Dodiya has developed a nuanced visual language that draws from personal experience and research. Her work focuses on how humans process grief, showcasing her extensive experience in both traditional and contemporary media, including paintings, sculptures, and painting-sculpture hybrids.

Biraaj Dodiya's Biography

Born in 1993 and raised in Mumbai, Biraaj Dodiya decided to pursue her studies in the United States, attracted by the open and multidisciplinary approach to art education there. She chose to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), partly due to its association with the Art Institute of Chicago—the second-largest art museum in the country. In 2015, she earned her BFA and later pursued her MFA at New York University, completing her degree in 2018.

Biraaj Dodiya is the daughter of Atul and Anju Dodiya, a renowned artist couple. Growing up, she had the opportunity to explore various visual forms through her parents' regular visits to international museums, institutions, chapels, and cathedrals. This exposure from a young age has influenced her work, which reflects a blend of traditional and contemporary influences. Her favorite artists include Francis Bacon, Philip Guston, and Dayanita Singh.

Her artistic career has been marked by notable exhibitions, including Transitory Forms at (2021), The (Pro)Found Object and (ME)(MORY) at Vadehra Art Gallery (2021), Do You Know How To Start A Fire? at Experimenter, Bikaner House, New Delhi (2021), as well as solo exhibitions like Stone, is a Forehead at Experimenter, Kolkata (2020), and Burn Your Finger, and Kiss it Yourself at 80WSE, New York (2017).

Biraaj Dodiya has also contributed to various publications, such as Art India Magazine, Punch Magazine, and Experimenter Books (edited by Aveek Sen).

Recognized for her talent, Biraaj Dodiya has received several prestigious honors and awards, including the 2021 Civitella Ranieri Visual Arts Fellowship, the 2018 Jack Goodman Scholarship in Art and Technology, a nomination for the 2018 Dedalus Foundation MFA Fellowship in Painting and Sculpture, and a residency at the Vermont Studio Center in 2015.

Currently, the artist resides and works in Mumbai.

The art style of Biraaj Dodiya

Biraaj Dodiya's art practice is influenced by forms and language that deal with uncertainty and impermanence. Her abstract paintings are created through processes of repair and erasure, often depicting nocturnal landscapes and exploring concepts of distance and temporality. In her sculptures, Dodiya combines discarded objects, industrial materials, personal relics, and studio detritus.

According to Biraaj Dodiya, the abstract works contain an implicit narrative that serves as a starting point for many of the pieces. These paintings may have either a visual or verbal reference. Some of them are remembered versions, rather than factual representations, of subjects. Narrative trust is crucial to Biraaj Dodiya, as it enables her to create freely and present her work without constraint. This trust is not limited to her paintings but extends to her sculptures as well. According to her perspective, sculptures and paintings share the same language, albeit expressed in different tones.