Sameer Tawde || Artist Bio

Known for series such as Miracle Robots and Daydreaming, Sameer Tawde is a visual artist currently based out of Mumbai, India. He has a multi-disciplinary practice going in Photography, Video, Sculpture and Installation and his work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in India and abroad at Museums, Photography Biennial and film festivals. Recently, in 2023, he was invited for an artist residency at Art Omi in upstate NY and in 2013-14 at the FUKUOKA ASIAN ART MUSEUM, Japan and MUSEUM QUAI BRANLY, Paris. In 2012, he was nominated for the Paul Huf Award. His work largely involves a fictional approach with a gist of humour and play. It is always interlaced between the two parallel worlds of the real and the imaginary. Presently, his works are part of collections internationally in Museums and private art collectors.

Holy Boulevard
(2017 - 2018)

"Holy Boulevard, is a series of serene, quiet, peaceful constructions built on the ocean. Space has been of great fascination to me; growing up in a crowded city like Mumbai, I have always wanted to create a utopian world. And when I create these structures, I feel an extension of myself coming alive in the form of an image.

The ocean is an integral part of this series because I have grown up watching the seas and it is the endlessness, the quietness, and the vastness of these waters, which has inspired me to visualize the spaces and create them. They are pleasing to the eye and I wanted to create a dreamlike space while photographing this built environment in the ocean. However, these structures themselves are made out of a huge set of discarded packaging materials, which are highly toxic and non-biodegradable and most of it ends up in landfills and also in the seas.

In social terms, manmade environment is considered the ultimate development for humans. Though I am creating this Utopia, I am also giving a satirical commentary on the utopia of our society, thus reflecting on the relationship we humans have with our environment."


Dialogues of an Introvert
(2016 - 2019)

"This work is based on the opposing concept of the real and the imaginary.
On one hand, it does a social, political and environmental commentary and on the other, it elopes the current scenario to pursue the fantasy world.

I create these images by using everyday objects and settings, where the space or the overall scenario is reflected in defamiliarizing ways.

I draw attention to the separation and sometimes alienation, between the self and the outside world. My attempt is to suggest new paths of connecting human beings to their infrastructure and environment.

In addition to showing of everyday objects and situations in novel routes, “Dialogues of an Introvert” also centers around illusions and this is achieved with an approach of making miniature sets, sculptures, backgrounds and also setting up life size installations on the locations to create these images.

In short, it is my take on the human psyche; while observing the present and also suggesting innovative practices of reflecting the future."

Education

M Des. - Communication Design (2002-2004)
National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
G.D.Arch (1996-2001)
L.S. Raheja School of Architecture, Mumbai.

Artist Residency and Grant

2023 - ART OMI / Ghent, Up State New York, USA
2014 - PHOTOQUAI RESIDENCY / MUSEUM QUAI BRANLY, PARIS
2013 - FUKUOKA ASIAN ART MUSEUM, JAPAN

International Art Fairs

TAIWAN ANNUAL 2023
PHOTO LONDON 2023
ART TAIPEI 2022
ART FORMOSA 2022
ART TAIPEI 2021
PHOTO LONDON 2020
PHOTOFAIRS SHANGHAI 2020
PHOTOFAIRS SHANGHAI 2019
ONE ART TAIPEI 2019

Collections

MUSEUM QUAI BRANLY, PARIS
FRANCIS GREENBURGER COLLECTION, Art Omi, USA.

Solo Exhibitions

2020 - "Dialogues of an Introvert" / 11 - 20 September / MODERN ART STUDIO, Shanghai.
Runner up - PHOTOFAIRS Exposure Award / www.photofairs.org
2019 - "Marvels of Humans" / 5 - 16 January / KrishnaKriti Festival, Hyderabad / Goethe- Zentrum Hyderabad
2018-19 - "Marvels of Humans" / 17th November 2018 - 26th January 2019 / UP Gallery / Taiwan. www.uniquephoto.com.tw
2015 - Miracle Robots - PHOTOQUAI BIENNALE 2015 / September 22 - November 22 / Museum Quai Branly, Paris
2013 - Miracle Robots - Winds of Artist in Residence 2013 - Part 2 / November 16 - December 2 / Artists Gallery Fukuoka Asian Art Museum

Group Exhibitions

2021 - "Constructed Realities" / Mia Liu & Sameer Tawde / 17 August - 02 October, 2020 / www.uniquephoto.com.tw
2020 - PHOTO LONDON DIGITAL FAIR / 7 - 18 October, 2020 / www.photolondon.org
2020 - SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL / November 5 2020 - January 31, 2021 / www.sipf.sg
2020 - BACKLIGHT TRIENNALE 2020 / September 4 - November 12, 2020 / TAMPERE, FINLAND.
2020 - LYRICALLY SUBCONSCIOUS / Two artists Show / June 25 - August 31, 2020 / NYB GALLERY, SEATTLE, USA.
2019 - Holy Boulevard & Dialogues of an Introvert / PHOTOFAIRS SHANGHAI 2019 20th -22nd September
2019 - Holy Boulevard & Dialogues of an Introvert / DONGGANG International Photo Festival 2019 / 5th July - 29th Sep
2019 - Holy Boulevard & Dialogues of an Introvert / One Art Taipei 17 - 21 January 2019 / Taipei / UP Gallery, Taiwan.