Teja Gavankar India, b. 1986
Teja Gavankar (b. 1986, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.) received her BFA from L.S. Rajeha School of Art, Mumbai (2006) and MVA in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda (2014). She also holds a certificate in Indian Aesthetics from Kalina University, Mumbai (2011).
The artist’s practice explores spatial encounters shaped by the interplay of objective reality and subjective perception. Deeply rooted in mathematics, geometry, and their philosophical extensions into physics and psychology, her work spans drawing and site-specific sculpture. While trained as a painter, she primarily uses drawing as a daily notational tool, often within the A4 format, exploring fundamental visual elements like line, shape, and form. Her sculptural interventions reimagine everyday spaces by altering scale, texture, and perception, navigating the space between the precise and the abstract, the known and the uncertain.
Teja had her first SOLO show at Gallery OPTICA in Montreal, Canada (2017). She participated in various group shows, some of them were at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai, India. (2006), Art Society of India Exhibition, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (2006), Bombay Art Society Exhibition, Jehangir art gallery, Mumbai (2007), 54th Venice Biennial Sessions, Italy (2011), Venice Architecture Biennial, Italy (2018), Art Centrix Gallery, Delhi (2019) amongst many others.
Teja has been awarded the Nasreen Mohamedi award in M.V.A Display, M.S.U. Baroda (2014), Khoj peers share’ program, Khoj international artist association, Delhi(2014), The Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada (2014), Kochi Biennial Foundation, Vertical artist center, Laval, Canada (2015) and many more. Teja has worked at TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) (2009-12), Assistant lecturer at Rachana Sansad school of art and craft, Mumbai (2011-13), Visiting lecturer at L.S.Raheja school of art (Fine art), Bandra, Mumbai and Academy of art and craft Rachana Sansad, Mumbai. (2015-16), Visiting faculty at B.VOC Rachana Sansad, Mumbai (2017-23).
Gavankar lives and works in Mumbai.