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Introduction

Vivan Sundaram was a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, installation, photography, video, and archival intervention. Trained at Baroda and the Slade School in London, his early involvement in leftist politics and student activism shaped his later critical engagement with art as a socio-political tool. Sundaram's practice moved from expressionist figuration to conceptual and installation-based forms, often interrogating memory, urban space, and the archive. Key projects such as Memorial (1993), Trash (2008), and Re-take of Amrita (2001–02) exemplify his interest in intergenerational history, material reuse, and the politics of representation. He frequently collaborated with historians, designers, and activists, situating his practice within broader discursive fields. Sundaram's work resists medium-specificity, operating instead through a mode of assemblage both materially and epistemologically. His contribution lies in expanding the parameters of contemporary Indian art to include questions of historiography, ecology, and the politics of form.
Zodiac sign
Gemini
Age
80
Place of Birth
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Place of Death
New Delhi, NCT of Delhi, India
Spouse(s)
Geeta kapur
State Country of Birth
Himachal Pradesh, India
State Country of Death
NCT of Delhi, India

Exhibitions

  1. 1965

    1. Five Painters, Curated by Mansaram, Taj Art Gallery Mumbai, India

  2. 1966

    1. Paintings, Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    2. Paintings, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi, India

  3. 1967

    1. Contemporaty Indian Art of India and Iran, Ben and Abby Grey Foundation, New York, USA
    2. Graphic Prints from Slade School, Clare College, Cambridge, UK

  4. 1968

    1. Paintings, Arts Laboratory, London, UK
    2. Young Contemporaries, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

  5. 1972

    1. Gallery Chemould, Kolkata, India
    2. The Heights of Macchu Picchu, Drawings based on Pablo Neruda's poem, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi, India

  6. 1974

    2. Group Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    3. Bhupen Khakhar and Vivan Sundaram, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

  7. 1975

    1. Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

  8. 1976

    1. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Paintings, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    2. Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    3. Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India

  9. 1977

    1. Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    2. The Indian Emergency, Drawings, Black Partridge Gallery, New Delhi, India
    3. Pictorial Space, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India
    4. Bhupen Khakhar and Vivan Sundaram, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

  10. 1978

    1. Six Who Declined To Show in the Trienniale, Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, India
    2. The New Contemporaries, Curated by Gulammohammed Sheikh, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

  11. 1979

    1. Vivan Sundaram, Nalini Malani and Sudhir Patwardhan, Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad, Bhopal, India

  12. 1981

    1. Paintings, Urja Art Gallery, Vadodara, India
    2. Place for People, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
    3. Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India

  13. 1982

    1. Contemporary Indian Art, Festival of India Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
    2. Seven Indian Artists, Curated by Vivan Sundaram, Gallery Bollhagen, Worpswede, Germany ((12 Jun – 11 Jul 1982))

      12 Jun 1982 to 11 Jul 1982

    3. Kubur, Hannover, Germany
    4. Amerika-Haus, Hamburg, Germany

  14. 1984

    1. 15 Dec 1984 to 31 Dec 1984

    2. The 15th International Art Exhibition, Tokyo Biennale, Japan

  15. 1985

    1. 17 Dec 1985 to 30 Dec 1985

    2. Signs of Fire: Works on Paper and in Mixed Media, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, India

      27 Feb 1985 to 14 Mar 1985

    3. The 2nd Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Museum, Fukuoka, Japan

  16. 1986

    1. Paintings, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

      20 Jan 1986 to 26 Jan 1986

    2. Contemporary Asian Art Show, Seoul, South Korea

  17. 1987

    1. Journeys, Pastels, Aurobindo Gallery, New Delhi, India
    2. The Second Biennale, Havana, Cuba
40 of 288
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Vivan Sundaram, 1974 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882819
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Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Vivan Sundaram, 1974 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882819

Chronicled Highlights

15 entries
Vivan Sundaram
Born
Vivan Sundaram
Vivan Sundaram — Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled (A Winter Night). Oil on canvas, 1963 | Painting | FineArts | 00604474
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled (A Winter Night). Oil on canvas, 1963 | Painting | FineArts | 00604474
In 2024, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (A Winter Night) (1963), offered in the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 18 September 2024 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹73,75,037.04 ($88,200). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Inbetweenness. Oil on canvas, 1967 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00872685
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Inbetweenness. Oil on canvas, 1967 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00872685
In 2026, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Inbetweenness (1967), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 26 March 2026 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹8,47,60,524.8 ($896,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Hotel Interior: The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie. Oil on canvas, 1974 | Painting | FineArts | 0022207
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Hotel Interior: The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie. Oil on canvas, 1974 | Painting | FineArts | 0022207
In my series, The Discreet Charm of The Bourgeoise, I made palpable objects like the chair or lace tablecloth, or a completely realistic illusion of a broken glass pane. By creating a background that was very obviously surface texture, an effort was made to thus destroy the illusion of the object. This makes for rhythm… the stillness of the object and the surging, seething movements of the surface texture… the background overpowers the foreground…
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Passage. Oil on canvas, 1981 | Painting | 00880138
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Passage. Oil on canvas, 1981 | Painting | 00880138
In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Passage (1981), offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art: Including Modern Indian Paintings by Sotheby's, which concluded on 29 March 2006 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹22,79,190 ($51,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Two Boys Sitting On The Outer Wall (Kalidas & Pandu). Oil on canvas, 1984-1985 | Painting | 00881826
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Two Boys Sitting On The Outer Wall (Kalidas & Pandu). Oil on canvas, 1984-1985 | Painting | 00881826
In 2006, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Two Boys Sitting On The Outer Wall (Kalidas & Pandu) (1985), offered in the Historical Series III by Osian's, which concluded on 24 November 2006 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹28,80,000 ($64,185). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Christie's (Auction House). Contemporary Indian Art (Charity Auction). 20 December 1987, Bombay | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861836
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Christie's (Auction House). Contemporary Indian Art (Charity Auction). 20 December 1987, Bombay | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861836
On 20 December 1987, Vivan Sundaram made their debut in the Indian public auction market when Intimate Landing was presented as Lot 33 in Contemporary Indian Art (Charity Auction), conducted by Christie's in Mumbai, India. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled. Pastel, black chalk and gouache on paper, 1987 | Drawing | FineArts | 00374754
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled. Pastel, black chalk and gouache on paper, 1987 | Drawing | FineArts | 00374754
In 1997, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1987), offered in the Indian Contemporary Art by Christie's, which concluded on 04 June 1997 at London, achieving a sale price of ₹43,784 ($1,224). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Fisherwomen Of Bombay. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00374347
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Fisherwomen Of Bombay. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00374347
In 2002, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Fisherwomen Of Bombay (1988), offered in the Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings by Bowrings, which concluded on 21 March 2002 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹9,30,000 ($19,077). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Boy and Totems. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00336254
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Boy and Totems. Oil on canvas, 1988 | Painting | FineArts | 00336254
In 2018, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Boy and Totems (1988), offered in the The Fine Art Sale by Pundole, which concluded on 22 November 2018 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹48,00,000 ($67,435.9). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled. Mixed media installation, 1988-1989 | Painting | 00878453
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Untitled. Mixed media installation, 1988-1989 | Painting | 00878453
In 2000, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1989), offered in the Contemporary Indian Paintings: From the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection by Sotheby's, which concluded on 05 December 2000 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹2,52,720 ($5,400). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). The Carpenter & His Wife. Oil on canvas, 1989 | Painting | FineArts | 00600842
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). The Carpenter & His Wife. Oil on canvas, 1989 | Painting | FineArts | 00600842
In 2004, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of The Carpenter & His Wife (1989), offered in the The Masterpieces & Museum Quality Series: Indian Contemporary Art – Books, Paintings & Sculpture by Osian's, which concluded on 15 October 2004 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹14,95,631 ($32,613). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Ship Aground. Oil on canvas, 1988-89 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00871364
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Ship Aground. Oil on canvas, 1988-89 | Painting | EconomicsArt | 00871364
In 2025, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Ship Aground (1989), offered in the The Fine Art Sale by Pundole, which concluded on 25 September 2025 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹2,60,00,000 ($293,223.38). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Easel Painting. Oil on canvas, 1989-1990 | Painting | FineArts | 00645673
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Easel Painting. Oil on canvas, 1989-1990 | Painting | FineArts | 00645673
In 2013, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Easel Painting (1990), offered in the South Asian Art by Christie's, which concluded on 19 December 2013 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹32,50,000 ($52,100). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Gulf War Series (With Self-Portrait). Engine oil and charcoal on handmade paper, 1991 | Painting | FineArts | 00371628
Sundaram, Vivan (Artist). Gulf War Series (With Self-Portrait). Engine oil and charcoal on handmade paper, 1991 | Painting | FineArts | 00371628
In his works on paper, Vivan Sundaram collides various ‘separates’: history, and the representation of it; the world of objective reality and memory, civilisational/personal; a disaster ‘out there’ and the practice of art. Discursive practices, objects as material, as symbolic order, and so on and on. The collision makes the work of art function on several levels, moving from the far edges of intellect-that ‘subtle instrument’ -to the gut responses of the body-the eve in its ‘savage state’. Images are transposed, seen through different registers; a push and pull of mind and body to seek other formations of meaning.
Osians (Auction House) and Neville Tuli (Curator). Creative India Series 2 - The Punjab and Delhi. 27 January 2012, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00862105
Osians (Auction House) and Neville Tuli (Curator). Creative India Series 2 - The Punjab and Delhi. 27 January 2012, New Delhi | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00862105
In 2012, an artwork by Vivan Sundaram was featured on the cover of Osians: Creative India Series 2 (January 2012, New York), marking a documented highlight in the artist's public and auction market visibility.

Economics of Art

Research Centre

Posts 2

  1. All Living Souls
    All Living Souls
    Tuli Research Centre for India Studies presents All Living Souls - Expressed in the Modern and Contemporary Fine & Popular Indian Arts Curated by Neville Tuli As part of launching the 16th Research Category for India Studies - "The Animal-Human-Nature-Continuum" we present a fascinating exhibition of modern and contemporary Indian fine and popular arts and their expression of the ideas and forms related to the dialogue between animals and humans, and the larger cosmic and spiritual thoughts which abide therein. Please visit the Exhibition and see the artworks by modern and contemporary masters such as Rabindranath Tagore, D.P. Roy Chowdhury, M.F. Husain, J. Swaminathan, J. Sultan Ali, Somnath Hore, Ganesh Pyne, Manjit Bawa, K. Laxma Goud, Krishna Reddy, Jyoti Bhatt, Rekha Rodwittiya, Amit Ambalal, among others, along with vintage and rare prints from the pioneering Indian chromolithographic presses such as Chitrashala, Ravi Varma, Calcutta Art Studio, Chore Bagan & Kansaripara.
    2_FineArts4_PopCulture16_Continuum
    A.L. SyedAbanindranath TagoreAmit AmbalalAmitava DasAnita DubeBenode Behari MukherjeeBhupen P. KhakharBireshwar Sen+37 more
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  2. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    "What does 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗷 truly mean? Is freedom achieved at a single historic moment or period, or must self-rule be continually imagined, questioned and renewed? India's journey towards Swaraj was shaped not by one voice or one path, but through reform and resistance, revolution and non-violence, political thought, public protest, art, print, photography, cinema and the collective will of its people. The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗝: 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, a pioneering exhibition curated by Neville Tuli. Bringing together rare artworks, prints, photographs, books, film publicity art, political propaganda and visual-textual-audio archives, SWARAJ traces India's complex journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery. From early European coastal encounters, the Bengal Renaissance and the First War of Independence in 1857 to the rise of Bharat Mata, the Tiranga, Gandhiji's inspired satyagraha, civil disobedience and mass mobilisation, the exhibition explores how the idea of India was envisioned, contested and transformed. It journeys through revolutionary movements and non-violence, subaltern uprisings, the Partition, the Constitution, the integration of the Princely States, the Emergency, wars, civic dissent and people's protests. It also foregrounds the vital role of artists, photographers, publishers, newspapers, journals, cartoons and cinema in recording and shaping the nation's political consciousness. SWARAJ invites us to encounter history not as something distant or settled, but as a daily living inheritance that continues to influence who we are and how we understand freedom, identity, and ourselves today. Watch the video for a glimpse into this expansive visual journey, and follow the exhibition as it revisualises India's political history through art, image, text and sound.
    13_SeekJustice
    Gobardhan AshRamkinkar BaijFelice BeatoNandalal BoseHenri Cartier-BressonRamendranath ChakravortyChittaprosadKanu Gandhi+14 more
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Calendar 2

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  1. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    ArchivedOpening PreviewProject 82
    SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    An Exhibition of Modern & Contemporary Fine & Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archive
    12th August 2026
    6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi,
    The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.
    Read More →
    13_SeekJustice9_SocialDuty
    +16 more
  2. SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    ArchivedExhibitionProject 81
    SWARAJ - Revisualising India's Political History
    An Exhibition of Modern & Contemporary Fine & Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archive
    12th - 19th August 2026
    10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi,
    19
    The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.
    Read More →
    13_SeekJustice9_SocialDuty
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