British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor, who had recently remarked that India is being ruled by a “Hindu Taliban”, has been removed from the governing body of Rajasthan’s Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, reports ibtimes.co.in. Though Kapoor’s article criticising the Modi government appeared in a UK daily publication on 12 November, the BJP-ruled state government went on to nominate Kapoor on 16 November.
However, Rajasthan Tourism Minister Krishnendra Kaur cancelled all 12 nominations, including that of the famous British sculptor, stating that the nominations were issued without consultation.
“Nominations of all the 12 members has been cancelled last night. I had no idea of the nomination earlier,” PTI quoted Kaur as saying. The development comes after reporters asked her about the Kapoor being nominated to the governing body panel, pointing out his scathing remarks against the BJP government during PM Narendra Modi’s UK visit.
About the artist:
Sir Anish Kapoor, CBE RA – born 12 March 1954 – is a British-Indian sculptor. Born in Bombay, the artist has lived and worked in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art and later at the Chelsea School of Art and Design. Kapoor represented Britain in the XLIV Venice Biennale in 1990, when he was awarded the Premio Duemila Prize. In 1991 he received the Turner Prize and in 2002 received the Unilever Commission for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. Notable public sculptures include Cloud Gate (colloquially known as “the Bean”) in Chicago’s Millennium Park; Sky Mirror, exhibited at the Rockefeller Center in New York City in 2006 and Kensington Gardens in London in 2010; Temenos, at Middlehaven, Middlesbrough; Leviathan, at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2011; and ArcelorMittal Orbit, commissioned as a permanent artwork for London’s Olympic Park and completed in 2012.
The artist received a Knighthood in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to visual arts.
Photo: P A Black © Artlyst 2015.