Nikhileswar Baruah was born in Assam and grew up in the city of Guwahati. Though he comes from a family of theatre performers, Nikhileswar always knew that he wanted to be a painter and stood firm to his resolve by enrolling into the M.S. University of Baroda. He received his Bachelors and Masters in the Fine Arts here, and staying faithful to the institution that gave him his beginnings, he went on to take up a job at the university as a lecturer in the Arts Department in 1992. Having recently resigned, he now focuses on his own work and career as an artist.
Nikhileswar has been deeply affected by the volatile environment he grew up in; one that was marred with violence and a growing sense of apathy towards aggression. This is evident in his work, as many of the characters he portrays either pose with weapons of destruction, or exude emotions of hostility via facial expressions and body language. In his world, all actors are men, and there is no place for a woman's emotion and touch.
His favorite medium has always been watercolors, which he finds to be the most flexible medium to work with, though he has also experimented with acrylics. His works aren’t particularly colourful, this adding to the sense foreboding and sinisterism he tries to relate in his creations.
The artist held his first exhibition in Mumbai in 1995.This was followed up with a solo show at Prithvi, and then in Lakeeren in 2001. He has also participated in many group shows in Baroda and Mumbai. In 2000, he was honored with the Artist of the Year award at the Harmony Art Show, a prestigious Indian annual art event. He has also won the Unesco scholarship for European Ceramic Work Center, Netherlands.
Nikhileswar lives and works out of Baroda.
Prakriti Kashyap |
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