Venkatesh Balasubramaniam

Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (b. 1978) is a Chennai-based painter. His practice explores perception, image-making and the instability of what we see.

He trained at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, earning a BFA (1998) and MFA (2001) in Painting. In 1996 he co-founded Genesis, Madras Art Moment, a collective of five Chennai artists. Early recognition included the Tamil Nadu Arts and Crafts Award for Painting (1994) and State Awards for Pen and Ink Drawing (1995) and Painting (1997). From 1998 to 2011 he also created commissioned murals, paintings, sculpture and mixed-media works with architects, interior designers and private clients. His works are held in collections in India and abroad.

His current work is made in two stages. First, he builds a painting in thick layers of acrylic with palette knives, letting gesture, scraping and chance shape the surface. Then, once the painting looks finished, he cuts it into strips and fragments and reassembles them into a new composition. The original is not destroyed. It lives inside the new image, transformed but not erased.

The paintings sit between recognition and uncertainty. They don’t ask for the right interpretation. They ask what happens when we look again.

This series, W...

MFA, Painting, Government College of Fine Arts (University of Madras), Chennai, India, 2001
BFA, Painting, Government College of Fine Arts (University of Madras), Chennai, India, 1998

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026: Living in Interesting Times: 30 Years of Genesis, Gallery Veda, Chennai (co-conceived theme, exhibiting artist)
2022: 5 Art Bananas, Genesis, Gallery Veda, Chennai (curator)
2007: Kala Mela, Government Museum, Chennai
1999: Tribute Exhibition for S. Dhanapal, Chennai
1998: Genesis, Madras Art Moment, Third Group Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1998: Regional Art Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1997: Genesis, Madras Art Moment, Printmaking Exhibition, Government College of Fine Arts Gallery, Chennai
1996: Genesis, Madras Art Moment, Inaugural Group Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1996: National Exhibition of Contemporary Art, New Delhi
1996: International Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Artist Camp, Vimonisha Gallery, Chennai
1996: Tamil Nadu Arts and Crafts Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1995: 16th All India Fine Art Exhibition, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
1995: Regional Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1995: Tamil Nadu Oviya Nunkalai Kuzhu State Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
1995: South Zone Cultural Centre Exhibition, Chennai
1995: Contemporary Painting Exhibition, Values Art Gallery, Chennai
1994: Tamil Nadu Arts and Crafts Exhibi...