Susanta Mandal

Susanta Mandal is a contemporary Indian artist known for his works that combine mixed media installations, kinetic mechanisms, and storytelling elements. 

Susanta Mandal's Biography

Susanta Mandal was born in 1965 in Kolkata. He completed a BFA in painting from the Government College of Arts and Craft and an MFA in painting from Benares Hindu University. 

Mandal has held solo exhibitions at renowned galleries such as Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi and Gallery SKE in Bangalore. He has also participated in numerous group shows, including exhibitions at Gallery 1X1 in Dubai, Devi Art Foundation in New Delhi, the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, the Chennai Photo Biennale, Gallery Odyssey in Mumbai, Bikaner House in New Delhi, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, Colombo Art Biennale in Sri Lanka, Beirut Art Fair in Lebanon, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Noida, among others.

Susanta Mandal has also engaged in artist-in-residence programs at Khoj in New Delhi, Britto in Bangladesh, and Theertha in Colombo. He is a member of the LAYOUT Artists' Collective, established in 2011 in New Delhi, India.

Currently, the artist resides and works in New Delhi.

Susanta Mandal's art style

Mandal's artworks often incorporate everyday materials and events, inviting viewers to confront raw reality within interactive environments. While his installations may initially appear playful, they ultimately create a sense of unease and discomfort. In his earlier works from 1993 to 2001, he experimented with structural constructions using a combination of wood and canvas. The forms of these structures have been inspired by ancient weaving looms.

Throughout his artistic journey, Mandal gradually incorporated light as an essential element in his works. His approach to light is rooted in a traditional engagement with the medium, drawing parallels to the use of light and shadow in the storytelling traditions of old India. Shadows in Mandal's works symbolize abstract fears, such as the fear of life and the fear of social change, that add depth to the narratives he constructs.