ANUPAM

Bio

Anupam Roy (b. 1985) is a multidisciplinary artist based in India. His practice spans drawing, painting, journalistic photography, posters, zines, graffiti, video, and collaborative and collective art practices. Through this diverse range of media and modes, he reflects on his experiences and observations in the hinterlands of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, where he was born; the urban landscapes of Delhi, where he currently lives and works; and Central and Northeast India, where he has engaged in regional political inquiry and propaganda praxis. His artistic investigations critically examine the limitations of contemporary representational politics in visual culture, as well as the intersections of land and labor movements, with a focus on surplus populations and their precarious conditions within the contemporary capitalist system.

Currently, a dominant “propaganda model” exists that supplements physical coercion with “manufactured consent.” The truth of contemporary reality lies within such much-censored narratives of violence and corporal suffering. The ethical and political task of the propagandist-artist is not merely to report or represent those from a comfortable outsider’s position but also to expose oneself to the same brutality while simultaneously transforming it.

Art, I envision, can create discursive spaces that aid in dismantling the hegemonic discourse of our present fascist-capitalist regime. These discursive spaces offer platforms for marginalized voices to express local concerns and contribute to the broader struggle for justice and equality. Towards that vision, and together with fellow artists and cultural activists, we have formed the ‘Panjeri Artists’ Union’ in West Bengal, India; Jinn, an independent publication; Khandera Art Space in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, India; and Locust Review, an international collective based in America.

All the works shared here are not predominantly made by me however, I am a part of these productions. My practice-led research/artistic creations are primarily a product of shared experiences, discussions, and actions with comrades and communities. Therefore, without my political milieu, the people with whom I am attached/engaged/in solidarity, and my union, this body of work could not have been conceived.