Anish Kapoor
Untitled, 1985
Gouache, emulsion, and pencil on paper
Biography:
Anish Kapoor was born in Bombay, India March 12, 1954.
His mother was a Jewish immigrant from Baghdad. His father, from a Punjabi family, was a
hydrographer in the Indian Navy.
Kapoor moved to Britain to attend the Hornsey College of Art. He then continued his studies at
the Chelsea School of Art and Design.
He continues to be based in London.
Inspiration:
The brightly colored spices in Indian markets inspire Kapoor’s bright color, especially in works
which feature mounds of brightly colored pigment.
Kapoor is fascinated with dualities, such as earth-sky, matter-spirit, lightness-darkness, etc.
Materials/ Process:
Gouache is a paint medium similar to watercolor, but more opaque. Emulsion is a chemical
proces
The use of concentrated powder pigment gives Kapoor’s works of the 1980s their bright,
saturated effect.
Kapoor uses monochromatic, bright colors and smple, curved forms in his sculptural design.
He seeks to evoke awe and mystery through the works’ cavities and shape.
Work:
Kapoor focuses on primary colors red, yellow, and blue in his saturated pigment works.
In 1990, Kapoor represented Britain in the Venice Biennale and was awarded the Premio
Duemila. In 1991, the National Gallery in London awarded him the Turner Prize.
In addition to gallery pieces, Kapoor builds large outdoor sculptures, including Cloud Gate in
Millennium Park, Chicago, and Sky Mirror, at the Rockefeller Center, New York.
Recently, he has partnered with engineer Cecil Balmond to propose architectural projects such
as “Kissing Bridge” (2004-05), a proposal for Hartlepool as of now unrealized.
His most recent works, such as the 2004 piece Cloud Gate (Millenium Park, Chicago), include
bright reflective surfaces which involve the audience and surroundings.
Quotes
“Red, of course, is the colour of the interior of our bodies. In a way it's inside out,
red.” - Anish Kapoor
“Is it my role as an artist to say something, to express, to be expressive? I think it's my role as an
artist to bring to expression, it's not my role to be expressive.” - Kapoor
“I am Indian, and I'm proud of it. Indian life is mythologically rich and powerful.” –Kapoor