KETAKI SARPOTDAR
Any issue—whether personal or global—depends on how an individual or a group responds to specific circumstances. My paintings, etchings, and time-based media explore human responses and the complexities of human psychology to critically analyse the social and political situations around me. Through my artistic process, I strive to understand how cognitive biases and emotional triggers shape public narratives during various social and political scenarios. In my visuals, I recreate original situations using satire, parables’ fictional characters, and symbols to challenge existing beliefs, assumptions, and cognitive dissonance, encouraging viewers to think more rationally and critically about social and political norms, political polarization, and what it means to be human.
My work process is akin to bricolage; it begins as a response to an event or situation that I find important to discuss. Then I delve into research, examining this situation from multiple perspectives, which allows me to gain a comprehensive and unified understanding. Instead of merely focusing on what is right or wrong, my visuals serve as extensive arguments about the situation. They incorporate puzzling metaphors derived from scientific observations of flora and animal behaviour, along with insights into human psychology gleaned from regional literature proverbs and poetry. Through this multifaceted approach, I invite viewers to engage actively with the work, encouraging them to explore and decipher the various layers of symbols and metaphors rather than passively consuming the visual content.
In my visuals, I incorporate zoomorphic forms to express distinct mind-sets or behaviors that have been examined in scientific studies and explored in folk tales. By using these characters with contemporary issues, I aim to foster a dialogue that critiques or questions their actions. Additionally, I employ anthropomorphic representations to delve into the universally shared experiences of psychological phenomena, making complex emotions and thoughts more relatable and accessible. My visuals are heavily inspired by regional folk tales and stories from the Panchatantra, an ancient collection of fables dating back to the 5th century in present-day Kashmir. These stories serve as a mirror to society, encouraging introspection and highlighting the impact of human actions, ultimately influencing collective consciousness.
In my exploration of human actions, I delve into the intricate tapestry of psychological phenomena to enhance our comprehension of behaviour in a more nuanced and realistic manner. By drawing parallels from historical scenarios, I demonstrate how certain actions have echoed through the ages, resonating from the past into our contemporary existence. This method not only reveals the cyclical nature of our behaviours but also challenges the notion that we are distinctively modern, as similar patterns continue to unfold.
BIOGRAPHY
KETAKI SARPOTDAR (B. 1992) COMPLETED HER DIPLOMA IN DRAWING AND PAINTING FROM L.S.RAHEJA SCHOOL OF ART, BANDRA IN 2014 AND POST DIPLOMA IN VISUAL ARTS FROM THE GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT, M.S. UNIVERSITY, BARODA IN 2018.
SHE IS A RECIPIENT OF THE ELIZABETH GREENSHIELDS FOUNDATION GRANT IN 2024, P.P.T. ( PURUSHUTTAM PUBLIC TRUST ) ANNUAL MERIT AWARD FOR GRAPHIC DEPARTMENT BARODA, and JERAM PATEL AWARD FOR BEST DISPLAY AT DEPARTMENT OF GRAPHIC ART BARODA in 2018.
SHE WAS INVITED FOR HGAC –MAHE FELLOWSHIP ARTIST IN RESIDENCY, MANIPAL ACADEMY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AT MAHIPAL CENTER FOR HUMANITIES, KARNATAKA IN 2024, AND SHE WAS SELECTED FOR THE RESIDENCY AT ‘ 1646 EXPERIMENTAL ART SPACE’, DEN HAGUE, NETHERLANDS IN 2023.
SHE WAS A PART OF THE 5TH EDITION OF KOCHI MUZIRIS BIENNALE ‘IN OUR VEINS FLOW INK AND FIRE ‘ COURITED BY SHUBIGI RAO, AT ASPINWALL, ADMIN BLOCK, KOCHI IN 2022-2023, AND ALSO GOT SELECTED FOR LALIT KALA 1ST PRINTMAKING BIENNALE, NEW DELHI, INDIA IN 2018 SOME OF HER SOLO EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE: PUBLIC RESIDENCY EVENT AT 1646 EXPERIMENTAL ART SPACE, DEN HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, IN 2023. SHE DID HER FIRST SOLO SHOW ‘MATTI KHALLI’ P.P.T. ( PURUSHUTTAM PUBLIC TRUST ) AT THE FACULTY OF FINE ARTS , BARODA IN 2019.
SHE WAS PART OF A VARIOUS GROUP SHOWS WHICH INCLUDES: ART DUBAI WITH LATITUDE 28 AT MADINAT JUMEIRAH, DUBAI IN 2025, ALSO SHE WAS A PART INDIA ART FAIR 2025,2024,2023,2022,2019 WITH GALLERY LATITUDE 28 IN NEW DELHI AND DELHI CONTEMPORARY ART WEEKEND, AT BIKANER HOUSE WITH GALLERY LATITUDE 28 IN 2023,2022,2021,2019. PART OF THE EMERGING VOICES: CURATORIAL PERSPECTIVE PROGRAMME OF GALLERIE SPLASH, EXHIBITION NAME “YESTERDAY CAME SUDDENLY “CURATED BY VAIDEHI GOHIL, AT BIKANER HOUSE, DELHI,2024. ‘MOBOCRACY X DEMOCRACY’ GROUP SHOW CURATED BY PRIYANSHI SAXENA AT GALLERY LATITUDE 28, NEW DELHI, 2023. ‘ HUM SAB SAHAMAT: RESISTING A NATION WITHOUT CITIZENS’ SHOW WITH SAFDAR HASHMI MEMORIAL TRUST, AT JAWAHAR BHAWAN CURATED COMMITTEE BY VIVIAN SUNDARAM, RAM RAHMAN, PARTHIV SAHA, SOHALI HASHMI, ARUSHI VATS, ABAN RAZA., NEW DELHI,2022.GROUP SHOW IN 2022 AT KARNATAKA CHITRAKALA PARISHAT WITH 1. SHANTI ROAD ART RESIDENCY AND GALLERY, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, IN 2022. THREE PERSON SHOW AT GALERIE MIRACHANDANI + STEINRUECKE, 2020