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Personal Profile

POOJA BAHRI
Born 1974, New Delhi, India
Lives and works in United Kingdom & India 

Education:

MFA, Arts University Bournemouth, UK
BA (Hons) English, Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi

Interested in the ambiguity of gender and social boundaries, the shifting context of rural and urban environments, and the fragility of private versus public gaze and space, Pooja further explores the intriguing conundrum that seems to confront the world today that emerges in her research and studio practice. Selecting the media and process according to the theme, her practice is material agnostic. What she employs is entirely dependent on the idea that needs execution, and in that, it could well be through installations, sketching, painting, videos, performance, digital printing, and staining…at the core, it is experimentation with more material to create an alternate dimension, and yet communicate to a larger audience.

Pooja Bahri is particularly interested in collaborative community practice and research-oriented writing about her work and developing an actionable project. Her works contribute to opening a public discourse on issues concerning the natural environment and socio-political dialogues. Compelling the audience to interact with the artworks, she wants through her projects to question the parameters of contemporary art in the digitized, post-industrial landscape.

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Professional Practice

2018 - present

Founding Partner Champa Tree Art Gallery

www.champatree.com

2016 - present

Founding Partner

The Create Studio

www.thecreatestudio.co.in 

2016-2020

Spokesperson,

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee

Chairperson,

Delhi Congress Research Department

2010 - present

Co-Founder 

Art For Art

www.a4afoundation.org

Since its inception, Art For Art has grown to house emerging artists in its residency programs, conceptualizing and executing public art projects, conducting art workshops, and curating exhibitions. Through its initiatives, it believes in fostering interactions between artists, curators, scholars, writers, and young students. It invites mentors and funds emerging artists from various regions and genres to create and exhibit their work and help strengthen their careers. Through digital technology, residencies, public art projects, and educational initiatives, the Trust brings the rural to the urban and metro to the roots, thereby helping bridge the gap amongst the artists for creative networking and self-sustainance.

Co-founding a creative space run by practising professionals was inspired by my passion for pedagogy and curriculum development in visual arts. Our team conducts short courses at top schools and colleges, guiding students on portfolio development and providing career counselling in the arts. The aim is to encourage the uninitiated to explore the practice of visual art and design. With over 1000 hours of workshop time, The Create Studio has also served large corporations like Google, John Lewis and IBM along with various private institutions.

Champa Tree Art Gallery is a dynamic and immersive art space that showcases exceptional artwork by talented artists worldwide, providing a curated collection that is accessible, affordable, and enjoyed by art enthusiasts globally. Established in 2018, the gallery is rapidly gaining recognition to prominence as a premier destination for art lovers, collectors, and artists alike.

While heading the political research in New Delhi, I was invited as a Sherpa to a develop a manifesto for art and cultural heritage for the Indian National Congress, a leading political party in the country. The assignment required extensive research in history and anthropology, as well as benchmarking global best practices.

Publication

2020 Aisi Hogi Humari Dilli, Research head, co-editor and design head, Delhi Congress Committee      

         Manifesto for Assembly elections

2019 Congress will Deliver, Sherpa, Indian National Congress Lok Sabha Election       

         Manifesto for Art, Culture, Heritage and Environment and Climate Change

2017 100 days of BJP in Municipal Corporation of Delhi, A poll khol campaign by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee,                  Research head, co-editor and press in charge

Selected Art Camps & Residencies

2024 SIM Artist Residency, Iceland

2023 Skaftell Artist Residency, Iceland

2015 Global Nomadic Art Project, Nature Camp, Vadodara, India

2014 Magam New, Nature Art Camp, S. Korea

2012 Bangla-Indo Art Camp, Bangladesh and Cross-Over exhibition, New Delhi

2011 Ceangal Art Camp, Gairloch, Scotland

         Marve Art Camp, Mumbai

Awards 2011

VIII Biennale International dell’arte Contemporanea Di Firenze

Gold Medal Winner – Video Art category

Fellowship - ongoing

TAAS Fellow Art & Gender, Fall 2023

 

Co-curation | Advisory

2020 Scars of Scarcity, Arts4All, New Delhi

2017 Nature Connect, Hungarian Cultural Centre & Arts4All, New Delhi

2013 Batting for Art, A travelling exhibition in support of Arts4All with Delhi Daredevils, Indian Premier League

Solo Shows

2013 Blow Horn, Chawla Art Gallery, Delhi

2012 Blow Horn, New Art Center, New York

2011 Kalakriti Gallery, Hyderabad
2010 Art Chutney Gallery, Bangalore

2007 Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi

2003 Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi

 

Select Group Shows

2022 Time Perspectives, BUMF Gallery, Arts University Bournemouth

         I Keep Smelling Fire, Video and NFT, India Art Fair, New Delhi

2020 Monsoon 2020, group show with Champatree, New Delhi

2017 Nature Connect, Hungarian Cultural Centre, New Delhi

2016 Forms of Devotion, Conde Duque, Madrid | Casa de la India, Valladolid, Spain

2015 And Still I Rise, The Instituto Cervantes, New Delhi

         Global Nomadic Art Project, Nature Camp, Vadodara

         India Yoga Chakra, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi

         Forms of Devotion, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi | China Art Museum, Shanghai

2012 India Art Fair, Kalakriti Gallery, Hyderabad, sculpture and video lounge

2010 Dotted by Intervention, Oblong Gallery, London

         Savera Foundation Art show, New Delhi
         Video Screenings, Delhi International Arts Festival

2008 Ki Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
         Stuart Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

         Khushi Foundation Art Show, Bangalore | Mumbai

2007 Florence Biennale

2006 Harmony Show, Mumbai

2005 The Artist and Her Muse, Pooja Bahri and Paresh Maity, New Delhi

2004 Art for Vision, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi

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