Teddy Bear, 2023

Valay Shende  

Valay Shende, a video artist and sculptor whose work focuses on the troubles plaguing contemporary urban society and its members, was born in Nagpur in 1980. In 2000, He received his Diploma in an Art Teaching in Nagpur, and then went on to train at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, from which he graduated with a BFA in sculpture in 2004. Shende later completed completed an artist residency at the Open Air Program, Point Ephemere, Paris in 2006.

Inspired by his surroundings, Shende uses his body of work to capture the challenges and dichotomies that characterize India today, particularly the striking divide between modern and industrial views on one hand, and traditional religious ones on the other. His recent sculptures, unique in both their process and scale, are intricately built out of minute metal discs, pocket watches, copper-plated fiberglass and other non-traditional materials. The combination of video art and sculptural installations in his practice is also unique, adding and entirely new dimension to classical ideas of sculpture.