Newspaper and a Sleeping Man

Kanta Kishore Moharana

Kanta Kishore Moharana was born on 30 June 1980 near the Indian city of Bhubaneswar into a family with a long sculpting tradition. His father and elder brothers worked professionally in art and craftsmanship, and from an early age he was surrounded by carving tools, wood and other materials. He studied fine art at B. K. College of Art and Crafts before continuing with a master’s degree at the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata. His work focuses primarily on social issues connected with everyday life in contemporary India. He responds to urbanisation, globalisation, violence against women, child labour, hunger, unemployment and the circumstances of workers. Rather than approaching these themes from a distance, he presents them as problems affecting a society of which he himself is a part. For him, sculpture becomes a means of social commentary and a reminder of human responsibility. A significant part of his work is represented by the “Newspaper” series. The contrast between the permanence of white marble and the fleeting nature of news gives these works a powerful symbolic meaning. He also meticulously carves books and everyday objects from marble, sometimes incorporating metal elements or ink. In addition to marble, he works with wood, granite, bronze and fibreglass. In 2007, he presented a series devoted to labour unrest at the Harmony Art Show. A year later, his work “Golden Chili” became a prominent part of Ashok Art Gallery’s presentation at Art Expo India in Mumbai.