Boy Dancer

Born in 1969 in Orissa. Pani graduated in printmaking with a Bachelor’s degree from Kalabhavan at the Viswa Bharati University, Santiniketan, in West Bengal, and received his Master’s degree (first class with distinction) in Graphics from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the M.S. University, Baroda.

Birendra Pani’s fresh perspective and contemporary canvases were displayed at the show on kitsch that was held at Gallery Espace in New Delhi. His loud and vivid images use colours like green and shocking pink unashamedly, and his nudes, far removed from traditional ideas, rather than revealing of clandestine activities and provoking corporeal or sensual excitement in the viewer, portray very private and personal instances in the subjects’ lives. In other works the artist chooses ordinary everyday words and then attempts to reveal all their private meanings and associations on the canvas with his brush.

Pani’s most recent solo exhibitions include ‘Re-Vision’ presented by Gallery Espace, New Delhi, at RL Fine Arts, New York, in 2009; ‘Boy Dancer: Convergence and Continuum’ at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, and the Faculty of Fine Arts of M.S. University, Baroda, in 2007; and ‘Risk: The Double Edge of Society’ at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, in 2006. His works have been featured in several group shows including most recently ‘Entity’ at MEC Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2009; ‘Keep Drawing’ at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, in 2008; and Live Wires’ presented by Art Konsult and Mon Art Gallerie at the Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong.

Birendra Pani also dabbles in animation and filmmaking, and has worked with UTV in Mumbai. He has participated in major shows in India and abroad and is the recipient of many awards. In 2001 he was awarded the Junior Fellowship of the HRD Ministry by the Government of India.