Anujan Ezhikode

I am a Brooklyn, New York artist who was born and raised in Kerala State, South India. My earliest influences were the elaborate temple arts and colorful folk and religious rituals of my state. My interest in the visual arts led me to enter the theater arts program at the Kerala Kalamandalam (The Kerala State Academy of Arts). There I studied the intricate, built-up (almost sculptural) makeup and costume design for two, centuries old, dance-drama forms unique to Kerala. Kudiyattam (from the 10th century, considered to be the oldest, continuous theater form in the world) and Kathakali (established during the time of Shakespeare). Both art forms, tell stories from Hindu mythology. The residue of this rich artistic lineage of image and color still runs through my art.

In New York City, I studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Art Students League. A school founded in 1875 by artists. There I received the "John Hovannes Memorial Merit Scholarship" and other honors. More recently, I received a print making scholarship to do etching at the Manhattan Graphics Center.

Some grants and projects that furthered my art were:

- "Diverse Forms Artist Projects Regional Initiative Grant" for a painting project made with recycled materials.
- "Project Studio program residency at Painting Space 122", in New York City, resulted in my first solo painting show.
-"Mid-Manhattan Library Art in the Windows program", my first installation project.
-"National Day of Listening at the New York Public Library" a multi-media presentation where I was one of 6 artists. The material is now archived at the Library of Congress.

Selected recent shows:
-IAAC's Erasing Borders at Kapoor Galleries, NYC
-BWAC Summer Show co-chair and exhibiting artist
-Bayridge SAW artwalk, Brooklyn,NY
-BWAC's Wide open, Brooklyn, NY curator Beth Saunders, The MET, NYC
-Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC
-Heritage India: Works by Anujan Ezhikode and Shanti Chandrasekar, invitational gallery, Strathmore, North Bethesda, Maryland.
-Newark Arts Council/Prospect St. Firehouse Inaugural invitational Ironbound, Unbound #3, NJ

Other selected exhibition venues include:
The Queens Museum of Art, NY
Islip Art Museum, NY
Hammond Museum,NY
JCAL, NY
Aicon Gallery, NY
Alfa Art Gallery, NJ
Visual Arts Center of NJ
Contemporary Art Center of NJ
12 Gates Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Penn College,Williamsport, PA
Queens College, NYC
Manhattanville College, NY
Stony Brook University, NY
St. John's University, NY
Washington Square East Galleries, NYU, NYC
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Permanent Mission of India to the UN, NYC
Indian Consulate, NYC