Nikhil Chopra is an acclaimed contemporary artist whose interdisciplinary practice bridges performance, drawing, painting, photography, and installation. Born in 1974 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, Chopra studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, before earning an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore. He also completed post-graduate studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, where his exposure to diverse artistic movements helped shape his experimental approach to artmaking.
Chopra’s works are deeply personal yet universally resonant, exploring themes of identity, history, memory, and the performative aspects of everyday life. Drawing inspiration from his upbringing in India, his family’s history, and colonial narratives, his performances often blur the lines between reality and fiction. He immerses himself in meticulously crafted personas and settings, creating durational performances that extend over hours or even days, inviting audiences into his process.
One of Chopra’s most iconic works is Yog Raj Chitrakar: Memory Drawing IX (2007), in which he adopts the persona of a 1920s landscape painter, reflecting on his personal heritage and the broader history of colonial India. His performances often culminate in large-scale charcoal drawings, which serve as lasting remnants of the ephemeral acts.
Chopra has exhibited and performed extensively on the global stage, including at prestigious venues like the Venice Biennale, Documenta 14 in Kassel and Athens, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His work has also been featured at major biennials and institutions in Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the UAE.
Chopra’s practice is characterized by its collaborative and site-responsive nature, as seen in works like Drawing a Line Through Landscape, a multi-city project that examines the relationship between mobility, geography, and artistic creation. His ability to merge narrative depth with visual artistry has earned him critical acclaim and a reputation as one of the most innovative artists of his generation.
By transforming the act of artmaking into a live and participatory experience, Nikhil Chopra challenges conventional boundaries of art, engaging audiences in conversations about history, transformation, and the ephemeral beauty of creation.