ARTISTS
JANHAVI Khemka
Born in the holy city of Varanasi, India, Janhavi Khemka is an interdisciplinary artist who graduated with a BFA in Painting & Printmaking from the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University and an MFA in Graphics from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan. She also studied Studio Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Khemka navigates her art through thoughtful choices in the medium to translate her perceptions. She is transient in her work, shifting from one medium to another, speaking of her personal experiences and spontaneous dialogue between her and the audience.
She has recently been awarded fellowships at KALA Art Institute Residency, Berkeley (CA), and the 3Arts/Body of Work Residency, between UIC and the MCA Chicago. She has worked closely with Japanese printmaker Paul Furneaux in Edinburgh, UK, and has recently earned the UC Berkeley South Asia Artist Prize 2024 and Lalit Kala Akademie Award for her installation ‘Sapna,’ in 2022.
Her works are in several important collections, including the KNMA, New Delhi, India and the Alkazi Foundation, India. She had her first solo exhibition at the India Art Fair, New Delhi (2024). Presently working from Chicago, USA, Khemka has been creating live performances that question the meaning of language and how we understand it.
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SRIVATSAN Sankaran
A familiar figure walking in the lanes of Chennai with a crowd of young photographers with cameras and smartphones, Srivatsan’s career in photography started with a calling to do more than a traditional career path. An avid traveller, his documented body of work in photography consists mainly of travelogues. Awarded as Travel Photographer of the Year (2017) by Indian Photography Association, Srivatsan has many more accolades to his name. He was named a Changemaker at the South India Youth speak conclave by the US Consulate & Nalandaway Foundation (2018), Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Promotion awarded by Tamil Nadu Tourism (2022), Certificate of Appreciation for Inclusive Contribution award by Sony Alpha Cameras (2022), Winner of Global Ability Photography Challenge (2022). His most recent achievements include Changemaker at WHO, Geneva (2023), and the National Award in Photography by the Ministry of Culture, India (2024). Srivatsan received a grant from the US Consulate Chennai (2024) for his work.
He is the founder of the Madras Photo Bloggers, which takes people interested in photography techniques and skills and helps them either establish a photography career or pursue photography as a passion.
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HARDEEP Singh
An artist and multimedia designer, Hardeep currently works as an Inclusion Coordinator and designer at the Museum of Art & Photography, perhaps for the first time, as a deaf artist in Museum Spaces. Born in New Delhi, Hardeep comes from a family of Deaf Artists, especially his father and grandmother. They have influenced Hardeep’s love for the arts, music, lyrics, and visual media. One of his original creations was featured in a plate collection by The Plated Project (2022). He had a special appearance signing an original poem of his in the first instance in an Indian Film Directed by Niharika Popli, “If I Could Tell You” (2024).
For Hardeep, Art gives him a unique way to express his creativity. He wishes his art to emote the experiences of Deaf People and the challenges faced due to language barriers. Through his art, he hopes to bridge the barrier in communication between Deaf and non-deaf people, enabling more opportunities for understanding and collaboration. He aims to inspire positive change and encourage people from all walks of life to support this cause. Hardeep loves to dabble in Rap music & lyrics and poetry in his free time.
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Archana Timmaraju
Born in Hyderabad and shifted to Bengaluru, Archana Timmaraju is an Arts teacher by day and a sculptor by night. She teaches at Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru. She has many interests, from being a Deaf motorcyclist to creating installations and public sculptures in museums and various places in Bengaluru. Her artwork and installations have been showcased in Chitra Santhe, Bangalore Habba, International Arts Festivals, etc. She holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts. With her enterprising nature, she is the founder of different community-based organisations like Silent Expedition, ArtAbled and The Whispers of Silence.
Archana has been a positive influence in many Deaf community events and brings forth her free spirit in her works. Getting away with the rigid rules and nuances of technicalities, she keeps experimenting with her alternate art forms. She has participated in many camps involving interdisciplinary mixed media, pottery, working with copper and mixed metals, and more. Archana wants to convey that through her art and sculptures, which showcase sign language accessibility. All while mixing the themes of inclusivity, communication, and beauty of sign language.
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VIVEK Kumar
Born in Gaya, considered the birthplace of Buddhism, Vivek Kumar embodies the peaceful sculptor himself. He has a BFA and MFA from the Faculty of Visual Art, Banaras Hindu University, India. He resides in New Delhi as a freelancer artist and has received many awards remarkably, exhibiting his work in many art exhibitions hosted by Banaras Hindu University (2011) and Jehangir Art Gallery (2012, 2019). His notable achievement is the National Academy Award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (2018). He is the recipient of various scholarships from both Lalit Kala Akademi and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
A firm believer in arts as a medium of expressing emotions of love, grief, rage, and loneliness, Vivek also aims to express distinct language through visual elements, such as touching on hearing, silence, and the need for communication. He draws inspiration from his personal experiences and works by Vincent Van Gogh in his sculpting. Individual challenges and a passion for transformative beauty propel me to create art that gives a voice to those who might not otherwise be heard. The legacy of artists who triumphed over adversity deeply motivates him to produce impactful and meaningful work.
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VARSHA Badal
Varsha Badal’s journey in printmaking started when she chose an art form to express her feelings through art, not words. Born in the Muktsar, Varsha has been a prominent figure in the art space in Punjab. In 2013, she graduated with a BFA and an MFA in printmaking from the Government College of Art, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Varsha’s artwork has been displayed in many exhibitions in North India, notably the 7th All India Women Artist Contemporary, Chandigarh (2018), 79th All India Exhibition of Art, Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar (2013). She also held a prestigious scholarship from Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi in 2017-18. Currently residing in Panipat, Varsha is a guest faculty member in Arts at the Government College of Art in Chandigarh; she believes in the profundity of expressing artists' language through art creation. Using colors as tools to express her vision en masse, Varsha’s work has been creating a radiant imagination and possibilities just like her name: rain from clouds creating a rainbow.
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ASHWIN Babu
Born & brought up in Mumbai suburbs and living in Bengaluru now, Ashwin’s straightforward approach towards videography comes from retro trends and old black-and-white movies. Ashwin derives his inspiration from films starring Charlie Chaplin, which have a particular influence on his photos and videos. He has a degree in VFX and has taken photography courses, but what drives him are the supportive people around him. As such a stroke of talent, he started by taking portraits of his friends, which transpired to capturing images in other spheres like Landscape, street photography and self-portraits. His extensive visual exposure to videos (Hip-hop & Rappers) & imageries of movies, watching behind-the-scenes of films gives him a distinct edge in his videography. He was awarded the first position in the Global Ability Photography Challenge (2022) initiated by Youth4Jobs.
Having created a buzz in social media trending reels, Ashwin considers Dr Alim Chandani and Bilal Chinoy his inspirations, who push him to keep experimenting with his work. He aspires to become a filmmaker to convey the importance of Sign Language and its impact on the Deaf community. Leaving no stones unturned, Ashwin wishes to advocate for Equal Opportunities in the Artspace through his works.
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HIMANSHU Kansal
Best known by his artist’s name, Luv, Himanshu Kansal is a multimedia designer focusing on illustrations, doodles and cityscapes. Himanshu is a recent awardee for the National Award for Creative Work, awarded by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu (2023). He is also awarded for excellence in service by the Hon’ble Governor, Haryana (2022), and the Ravi Narang Award for best innovative paper on the Indian Sign Language (ISL) textbook, New Delhi (2023). He is trained in graphics & animations and is certified in Indian Sign Language levels A, B, and C from Ali Yavar Jung National Institute Of Speech And Hearing Disabilities, Mumbai. Himanshu has also designed t-shirts for Freedom to Sign, a deaf-led brand.
Raised in the middle state of India, Madhya Pradesh--from a rich background of historical & cultural heritage encourages his love towards arts. He loves travelling and derives inspiration from everyday life, reflected in his artworks. He draws his extensive experience in the form of comical caricatures and illustrations, developing his characters and individuals, illustrating Indian Sign language textbooks, handbooks and artworks for Deaf events.
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