Nikesh Ola

(b. 1996, Rajasthan)

“Work is not just the reflection of one's being or who he is, but a constant pursuit of being and becoming”

As an art practitioner and visual artist, I have long been interested and engaged in the historical question and significance of art and artists, and artistic practices, and particularly examining one's own self and the contemporary role of an artist. I explore how the image of an artist has been constructed historically and now is institutionally governed, and the constant negotiation with these constructions.

As an artist, I am inclined towards spaces and mediums and what they enable. The access and limitations which are embedded in language and medium-specific practices. My practice dwells on understanding the tensions and dangers inherent in the process of making art and life itself, engaging in endless conversation and negotiation between myself and the universal understanding of being and artist-being.

I inquire into the body of an artist in contemporary times, considering the role of critical witnessing of society and how artists observe, represent, and critique societal structures.

Refusal becomes an important governing factor of my practice. I explore what can be refused, what can be claimed, and whether refusal itself constitutes a claim? And what does this refusal invite? Refusal inevitably helps to see more, perceive differently, and feel a new sense of intending, being and becoming."

Nikesh Ola is a visual artist, completed his BFA in Painting from the College of Art, Delhi (2020), and MFA from Shiv Nadar University, Dadri (2023. In his pursuit of forming a visual language, his works delves into ontology of painting and mediation. Inclined toward paintings as a form, his works also transform into other forms, such as images, moving images, sculptures, or installations, where works interbehaves and interweave. His work examines how the image of an artist is constructed both historically and institutionally, and how artists constantly negotiate these constructions. His practice focuses on spaces and mediums, exploring the access and limitations embedded in language and medium-specific practices. Refusal is a significant aspect of his practice, as he explores what can be refused, what can be claimed, and whether refusal itself is a form of claim. His works have been a part of varius exhibitions including, ‘Art and the Field, Context and Materiality’, curated by Vasudha Thozhur, Wetlands Art Space, Shiv Nadar University, Dadri (2024); ‘All That is Solid Melts into Air’, Anant Art gallery, New Delhi (2023); among others.

Nikesh lives and works between Delhi and Rajasthan.

Nikesh Ola

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