Title: Silent Valley

Year: 2024

Media: Pastel and Charcoal on Blue Paper

Size: 15 X 21 cm

About the work: I am from the Kashmiri Himalayas; well my family's history is. I feel deeply connected to that place where the land and sky attempt touch each other. When I close my eyes and want to go to a quiet place, I go to the mountains. The irony here is the paradox; Kashmir has lost thousands in their fight for self determination.

 Without references I conjure an image of the mountains in the hope that peace will prevail over war and someday Kashmiris will be free.

Bio: Nikhil Chopra’s artistic practice interweaves live art, drawing, photography, sculpture and installations. His performances, in large part improvised, dwell on identity and its construction, autobiography and authorship, the pose and self-portraiture. His work reflects on the process of transformation and the part played by the duration of performance as making large scale charcoal drawings in situ become the central task.

Nikhil’s performances on the international art and theater scene began in 2008. He has performed at the 53rd Venice Biennale, the  2nd Kochi Muziris Biennale, Bienal de la Habana, the 12th Sharjah Biennial and documenta 14. He has had major solos at the Whitworth and Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, and the New Museum and the Met in New York City.