Nandini Valli Muthiah

Nandini Valli has a Bachelor Degree in Photography from the Arts University of Bournemouth, UK. She has been practising photography since 2006. Nandini Valli’s work is deeply rooted in cultural reflection, exploring various aspects of the world she is surrounded by and immersing herself in the traditions, beliefs, and practices that shape her environment. She has been in several landmark photography shows in India, UK and the USA. Her works are in museums and private collections world over, such as the AGO and ROM in Toronto, Canada. Nandini Valli has always been drawn to the art of curating and is very proud to be a part of this small but what she hopes will be an inspiring photography exhibition in Chennai.

COP Shiva

In 2001, COP Shiva migrated from his village in Ramanagara District, Karnataka, to join the police force in Bangalore as a Constable.

In 2007, while continuing to be a Constable in the police department, COP Shiva began working as the volunteer coordinator at 1.Shanti Road Studio/Gallery,Bangalore. It gave him an opportunity to work with, as well as learn from the many visiting artists. He quit the police force in 2019 and thereafter has been a full time practicing artist.

In his practice, COP Shiva documents the complexity of rural and urban India, focusing on people and portraiture as a genre. He is fascinated with the idea of ‘the masquerade’ and the roles people play in public and private. His portfolio includes intimate portraits of urban migrants, people of alternative sexuality, street performers and others living in the hinterland of urban and rural conflict. COP Shiva has been the recipient of 2023 Sovereign Asian Art Public Vote Prize (Hong Kong) & the 2023 Fellowship of The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University.

He is also the recipient of the Laspis Residency Program by the Swedish Arts Council (2017), and the Studio Residency by Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council (2019). Additionally, he has been awarded a National Contemporary Art Award by the Ministry of Culture (2016). COP Shiva’s work has been featured in several group shows, and in international art festivals such as Chobi Mela (2013) in Bangladesh, Kochi Biennale(2015) and Chennai Photo Biennale(2019). He is represented by Gallery Sumukha in Bangalore and Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi.

Lim Soo Sik

Lim graduated with BFA and MFA in Photography from Chung-ang University’s Department of Photography. His work expresses various objects that symbolize universal desire using photography ,through series of works such as Chaekgado (which combined photos of bookshelves with the way in which to create Korean traditional paintings), Picturenary, Mountain, and Room.K.

Lim has participated in over 100 group exhibitions and 22 solo exhibitions in many countries, including the U.K., Spain, and Brazil. His works are housed at several museums, such as the Art Bank at Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Germany’s Reiner Kunze Museum.

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