Here are 20 artists we think will be making a big impact and are therefore worth looking out for in 2018. No longer limited to the classic canvas, these artists explore different techniques and media ranging from intricate paper cuts to detailed digital art taking visual arts to unimagined heights.
From being showcased at galleries around the world to creating their own virtual galleries on social media these Indian artists are creating a buzz online and off line.
1. Prabhakar Pachpute
Image Courtesy: https://ocula.com/art-galleries/experimenter/artworks/prabhakar-pachpute/the-paradox-of-time/
Heavily influenced by the emerging coal mines around the village of his childhood, Pachpute works with various media including paper pulp, terracotta, ceramic, fibre glass, and charcoal. His renditions in charcoal show deep thought into the influences of industrialisation, especially in rural areas.
2. Dheer Kaku
Image Courtesy: https://www.storyltd.com/ItemV2.aspx?iid=39772
Though he trained as a painter, Dheer Kaku moved on to digital media, long exposure photography and other forms to express himself in his quest to understand the “juncture between the body and the mind”.
3. Gipin Varghese
Image Courtesy: https://www.vadehraart.com/exhibitions/75-gipin-varghese-commonly-caught-species-d-53-defence-colony-new-delhi/overview/
Gipin’s works are about various events that affect humans, especially in the non-urban context. One can see influences of Indian folk art traditions in his works. Watercolours are his forte.
4. Bhaskar Rao
Bhaskar Rao, a landscape artist from Hyderabad, is a recipient of many awards like Junior Fellowship from (H.R.D) Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India, state awards and also international awards. Motiff “The Tree” has remained constant as part of his oeuvre over the years in his career.
5. Parul Gupta
Image Courtesy: http://naturemorte.com/exhibitions/stillontheverge/selectedartworks/8529/
Delhi based Parul Gupta has an MFA from Nottingham Trent University. Her minimalist style and leaning towards architectural images have resulted in stunning linear works on paper.
![]()
6. Anirban Mitra
Image Courtesy: https://www.storyltd.com/auction/item.aspx?eid=4207&lotno=150
One look at Anirban’s work and the viewer is assaulted with bright colours and lots of images vying for attention. On closer examination the chaos calms down and clearer images emerge taking the viewer on a journey of juxtaposed images from popular culture creating their own story.
7. Bhuneshwar Azaad
Bhuneshwar’s focus is on urbanisation and his works incorporate scrap and waste materials ranging from newspaper, electronic waste, to CDs and other discarded objects. His works include contemporary and mixed media pieces.
8. Priyesh Trivedi
Image Courtesy: https://www.coeval-magazine.com/coeval/priyesht
An artist by chance, Priyesh Trivedi and the phenomenon that is Adarsh Balak are bound to be on this list for the sheer brilliance of each art work and its message. Quietly subversive, Priyesh has his finger on the pulse of the millenials and is hugely popular with a cult following on social media.
Priyesh Trivedi a visual artist from Mumbai, have been making waves all around the country with his immensely popular Adarsh Balak series of sketches.
9. Sandesh Khule
A painter with intrinsic regional roots, Sandesh Khule has adopted the idioms of the abstraction. Geometry inherent is the primary source of inspiration for hs works. Sandesh believes that basic geometry is very powerful and that is the primary source of his insipiration for his works.
10. Laxman Aelay
Laxman Aelay is an artist from Hyderabad. His paintings are a reflection of life in his village - Kadirenigudem in Telangana, India. His muse has been the live of village people mostly men who are shepherds and household women clad in saree. He loves doing monochromes and also does hyperrealism.
11. Pratap Morey
Image Courtesy: https://www.pratapmorey.com/works2022?lightbox=dataItem-lc940996
Displacement is a recurring theme in Pratap’s works echoing his own personal experiences of displacement and of those in the urban milieu around him, be it the result of transferable jobs or redevelopment of old buildings. His drawings and engravings depict the imbalances and the isolations that happen in urban environments.
12. Ravi Shankar
S. Ravi Shankar, famous for his paper cut relief sculptures, has done his Diploma in Finearts with concentration in Graphic Design and Print-making, Govt. College of Arts & Crafts, Chennai, India. He uses a laser to meticulously cut out the Geometrical shapes in several layers of paper which are then all put together.
13. Gopal Pardeshi
Gopal Pardeshi, an alumnus of the Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, depicts the experiences of village life, and feature antique lamps, wooden windows or old utensils, with each painting telling a story. The beautiful portrayal of rural India makes these works extraordinary.
14. Sanjay Kumar
Image Courtesy: https://www.taoartgallery.com/sanjay-kumar
A graduate of the K M College of Arts & Craft, Lucknow University, Sanjay Kumar has exhibited in prestigious venues and shows across the country. His whimsical watercolours on paper depicting pigs are as unique as they are thought provoking. His works are not limited to the porcine, he covers other subjects in his paintings too.
15. Sonal Varshneya
Image Courtesy: https://ic-art.in/artists/sonal-varshneya/
Initially trained in print making Sonal Varshneya also learned etching and aquatinting, going on to combine the techniques in her works. Her subjects range from Hindu imagery to contemporary themes.
16. Parag Sonarghare
Image Courtesy: https://gallerymaskara.com/artist/parag-sonarghare/works/1713
Nagpur born Parag Sonarghare graduated in Art History from MS University, Baroda. His depictions of the male body are detailed and realistic and one often sees the artist himself starring in his works. The paintings have a near photograph-like quality and the gaze of the subjects is almost always direct and piercing.
17. Prakash Ghadge
Art in black and white has a distinct charm and Prakash Ghadge's work of beautiful landscapes, is like that — pen and ink on paper. Each of his work is detailed and inspiring. Ghadge`s style of working with pen and ink using styles like stippling, crosshatching and rendering in black and white speaks for his talent itself.
18. Svabhu Kohli
Image Courtesy: https://www.platform-mag.com/art/svabhu-kohli.html
Goa based Svabhu Kohli is a visual artist who creates magical images based on nature encompassing flora, fauna, the skies, the oceans, and everything that makes up the world around us. A digital artist, his illustrations are full of tiny details giving the viewer much to look at, discover, and enjoy!
19. Amit Kapoor
Amit kapoor is a leading master of watercolor medium in India. He has been recognized with top international honors for his paintings. His art captures the very soul of his subjects with passion. His exceptional drawing skills and extra ordinary abilities in art makes him proficient in any medium. His subjects include lot of compositional works like Streets, Kitchens, platforms and metropolitan cities where lovely play of light and shadow and perspectives are the main traits.
20. C Bhagyanath
Born in Tellicherry, Kerala, Bhagyanath has received his Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (painting) from the College of Fine Arts, Triavandrum and Master's degree in Fine Arts and Communication from Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts, Hyderabad. Bhagyanath has been awarded with several prestigious art-awards in the last few years. See some of his exhibits
