Mithu Sen

Mithu Sen is an artist who employs various mediums such as painting, collage, installation, and performance to challenge social constructs and taboos. Her works often incorporate the prefix 'un' to explore the boundaries of sexuality, representation, and marginalization. Sen received her BA and MFA in Painting from Kala Bhavana Institute of Fine Arts at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan and gained critical acclaim for her provocative pieces that subvert traditional gender roles and societal expectations for women in India, particularly with her self-portraits showcased in her solo exhibition Half Full Part 1 at Bose Pacia Gallery in 2007. In 2010, her solo exhibition Black Candy (iforgotmypenisathome) at Chemould Prescott Road in Mumbai showcased her unapologetic and bold depictions of male sexuality, nudity, and pregnancy, which were considered taboo in Indian society, and won her the inaugural Škoda Prize for Indian Contemporary Art. Throughout her artistic career, Sen has explored the concept of 'unbelonging' through projects such as 'Hair Unbelongings' and the MOU (Museum of Unbelonging) installation. Her performances and installations have been exhibited globally, including at the 58th Venice Biennale, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, the Kathmandu Triennale, the Biennale de Dakar, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Sen's solo exhibitions include Border Unseen, UnMYthU, Cannibal Lullaby, and Black Candy (iforgotmypenisathome), while her group exhibitions include To a passer-by, Deeper Within its Silence, India Re-worlded: Seventy years of Investigating a Nation, One Line Dot, Quiet Voices, and Drawing the Bottom Line.