DEBASHISH PAUL (b. 1994)
Debashish Paul, born in 1994 in Nadia district in West Bengal, explores the problems of queer identity in a society dominated by heterosexual norms. Paul has done his BFA from The Indian college of Art and Draftsmanship in sculpture, Kolkata, and he completed his master’s degree in sculpture from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in 2021.
Debashish Paul was part of Art Dusseldorf 2023. He was one of the artists in residence at the India Art Fair 2023 and has performed at the fairgrounds and the French Institute Delhi.
Paul performed live at the Residency and Performance Art Programme curated by HH Art Space Foundation and Nikhil Chopra, in collaboration with Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022-23, Kochi, India (Residency 26th November – 12th December & Performance 13th – 18th December 2022). Paul is also a recipient of the 2022-23- Prince Claus Seed Fund. He was the first award winner of the: Allegro 1st prize 2021, Contemporary LYNX, UK. He has also received the 2022 Inlaks Fine Art Award, Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, and The India Artist Relief Fund-2021 (MAP in partnership with 1Shanthiroad Studio/Gallery).
He has participated in Beyond Binaries: Sensing Art through Queer Lensing-2021 at KCC, Kolkata; the Student's Biennale -2021, Kochi, Kala Sakshi Workshop-2021, Emami Art Open Call Exhibition -2020, Kolkata. Of Liminal Beings and Other Spaces curated by Ushmita Sahu -2021, Emami Art, Kolkata
Debashish’s works were appreciated in the annual exhibitions of Indian Art College of Art and Draftsmanship, and he has also shown in The Spring at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata in 2019. He recently won the Allegro Main Prize in 2021, India Artist Relief Fund 2021 (MAP in partnership with 1Shanthiroad Studio/Gallery) and the Inlaks Fine Art Award in 2022. He recently received the Kalanad Scholarship 2022 – 23 from the Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, Seed Award from the Prince Claus Fund, 2022.
Debashish Paul lives and works in Varanasi and Nadia, West Bengal.