Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor is considered one of the most influential artists working today. Renowned for public sculptures that are both adventures in form and feats of engineering, Kapoor manoeuvres between vastly different scales, across numerous bodies of work. Immense PVC skins, stretched or deflated; concave or convex mirrors whose reflections attract and swallow the viewer; recesses carved in stone and pigmented so as to disappear: these voids and protrusions summon up deep-felt metaphysical polarities of presence and absence, concealment and revelation. Kapoor’s geometric forms from the early 1980s, for example, rise up from the floor and appear to be made of pure pigment, while the viscous, blood-red wax sculptures started in the early 2000s – kinetic and self-generating – ravage their own surfaces and explode the quiet of the gallery environment. There are resonances with mythologies of the ancient world – Indian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman – and with modern times.

Anish Kapoor was born in Mumbai, India in 1954 and lives and works in London and Venice, Italy. He studied at Hornsey College of Art, London (1973–77) followed by postgraduate studies at Chelsea School of Art, London (1977–78). Recent solo exhibitions include Cidade Matarazzo, São Paulo, Brazil (2024); Liverpool Cathedral, UK (2024); ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishøj, Denmark (2024); Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy (2023-24); Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia and Palazzo Manfrin, Venice, Italy (2022); Modern Art Oxford, UK (2021); Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, Shenzhen, China (2021); Houghton Hall, Norfolk, UK (2020); Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany (2020); ‘Surge’ at Fundación Proa, Buenos Aires (2019); Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum and Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing (2019); CorpArtes, Santiago (2019); Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, London (2019); Serralves Museum, Porto, Portugal (2018); Descension at Public Art Fund, Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1, New York, NY, USA (2017); Parque de la Memoria, Buenos Aires (2017); MAST Foundation, Bologna, Italy (2017); Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC), Mexico City (2016); Couvent de la Tourette, Eveux, France (2015); Château de Versailles, Versailles, France (2015) and The Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, Moscow (2015). He represented Britain at the 44th Venice Biennale in 1990 with Void Field (1989), for which he was awarded the Premio Duemila for Best Young Artist and won the Turner Prize in 1991. Large scale public projects include Cloud Gate (2004) in Millennium Park, Chicago, USA; Dismemberment Site I (2003–2009) Kaipara Bay, New Zealand and Ark Nova (2013) the world's first inflatable concert hall in Japan. Anish Kapoor was awarded a CBE in 2003 and a Knighthood in 2013 for services to visual arts.

Recent, current and forthcoming projects

'Anish Kapoor. Unseen' ARKEN, Denmark (11 April 2024 - 10 October 2024)

'Anish Kapoor. Untrue Unreal' - Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (7 October 2023 - 4 February 2024)

'Anish Kapoor' - Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia (20 April - 9 Oct 2022)

'Anish Kapoor: Painting' - Modern Art Oxford (2 October 2021 - 13 February 2022)

'Anish Kapoor' - Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (2 April - 4 July 2021)

Anish Kapoor
Garnet, 2024

Fiberglass, paint
186 x 186 x 37 cm
73 1/4 x 73 1/4 x 14 5/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Cobalt Blue over Silver Satin, 2024

Aluminium, paint
213 x 213 x 33 cm
83 7/8 x 83 7/8 x 13 in

Anish Kapoor
Spire, 2014

Stainless steel
240 x 240 x 240 cm
94 1/2 x 94 1/2 x 94 1/2 in

Installation view of ‘Monadic Singularity’, Liverpool Cathedral, UK (2024). Courtesy Liverpool Cathedral, Photo: Rob Battersby

Anish Kapoor
Imminence, 2000

Onyx
180 x 167 x 88 cm
70 7/8 x 65 3/4 x 34 5/8 in

Installation view of ‘Monadic Singularity’, Liverpool Cathedral, UK (2024). Courtesy Liverpool Cathedral, Photo: Rob Battersby.

Anish Kapoor
Sectional Body preparing for Monadic Singularity, 2015

PVC and steel
730 x 730 x 730 cm
287 3/8 x 287 3/8 x 287 3/8 in

Installation view of ‘Monadic Singularity’, Liverpool Cathedral, UK (2024). Courtesy Liverpool Cathedral, Photo: Rob Battersby.

Anish Kapoor
Void Pavilion VII

2023
700 x 900 x 900 cm
275 5/8 x 354 3/8 x 354 3/8 in
Installation view of 'Anish Kapoor. Untrue Unreal', Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (2023)

Anish Kapoor
Dark Brutal

2023
Fibreglass and paint
172.5 x 172.5 x 43 cm
67 7/8 x 67 7/8 x 16 7/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Gathering Clouds

2014
Fibreglass and paint
Dimensions Variable
Each: 188 x 188 x 39 cm
Each: 74 x 74 x 15 3/8 in
Installation view of 'Anish Kapoor. Untrue Unreal', Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (2023)

Anish Kapoor
Non-Object Black

2015
Vantablack
39 x 39 x 12 cm
15 3/8 x 15 3/8 x 4 3/4 in

Anish Kapoor
Mirror, 2018 (left) and Newborn, 2019 (right)

Installation view of 'Anish Kapoor. Untrue Unreal', Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (2023)

Anish Kapoor
To Reflect an Intimate Part of the Red

1981
Mixed media and pigment
200 x 800 x 800 cm
78 3/4 x 315 x 315 in

Anish Kapoor
Iridescent Pink

2023
Aluminium and paint
215.5 x 215.5 cm
84 7/8 x 84 7/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Sky Mirror, 2018

Stainless Steel
330 x 330 cm
129 7/8 x 129 7/8 in
Installation view at Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2022
Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

Anish Kapoor
 Installation view of Vantablack works

2022
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Anish Kapoor
Untitled, 2020

Afghan pink onyx
162 x 132 x 56 cm
63 3/4 x 52 x 22 in

Anish Kapoor
Mount Moriah at the Gate of the Ghetto, 2022

Mixed media
Installation view at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

Anish Kapoor
Turning Water into Mirror, Blood into Sky 2003

Steel, water, motor
150 x 300 x 300 cm
Installation view at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

Anish Kapoor
Sky Below, 2022

Aluminium and paint
215 x 215 x 34 cm
84 5/8 x 84 5/8 x 13 3/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Symphony for a Beloved Sun, 2022

Wax, steel, canvas, paint
1000 x 800 x 800 cm
Installation view at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

Anish Kapoor
White Sand, Red Millet, Many Flowers, 1982

Mixed media
101 x 241.5 x 217.4 cm
Installation view at Palazzo Manfrin, Venice

Anish Kapoor
Oriental Blue and Black Mist satin

2019
Aluminium and paint 220 x 220 x 47 cm

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2020
Houghton Hall, Norfolk, UK

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2020
Houghton Hall, Norfolk, UK

Anish Kapoor
Glisten (Spanish Gold and Pagan Gold mix dark to light)

2019
Stainless steel and lacquer, 155 x 155 x 30 cm, 61 x 61 x 11 3/4 in

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
CAFA Museum, Beijing, China

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing, China

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing, China

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing, China

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Lisson Gallery 24th Street, New York, NY

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Lisson Gallery 24th Street, New York, NY

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Lisson Gallery 10th Avenue, New York, NY

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Untitled

2016
Silicone, fibreglass and gauze 305 x 215 x 10 cm / 120 x 84 5/8 x 3 7/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Lisson Gallery, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2019
Lisson Gallery, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Sky Mirror

2018
Stainless Steel 320 x 320 cm / 125 7/8 x 125 7/8 in Installation view, Fundação de Serralves, Porto, Portugal

Anish Kapoor
Non-Object (Door)

2008
Stainless steel 281.3 x 118.1 x 118.1 cm / 110 3/4 x 46 1/2 x 46 1/2 in Installation view, The Hayward Gallery, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Random Triangle Mirror

2016
Stainless steel and resin 190 x 190 x 28 cm / 74 3/4 x 74 3/4 x 11 in

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2018
Punkt Ø, Moss, Norway

Anish Kapoor
Descension

2014
Steel, concrete, water, and motor 300 x 800 x 800 cm / 118 1/8 x 315 x 315 in Installation view, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York, NY, USA

Anish Kapoor
Rectangle Twist

2016
Stainless steel 100 x 100 x 100 cm / 39 3/8 x 39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Destierro

2017
Earth, pigment, mechanical digger Dimensions variable

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2015
Château de Versailles, Versailles, France

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2015
Château de Versailles, Versailles, France

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2015
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Anish Kapoor
Reach

2014
Stainless steel 391 x 1182 x 400 cm / 153 7/8 x 465 3/8 x 157 1/2 in Installation view, MAST Foundation, Bologna, Italy

Anish Kapoor
Shine

2012
Fibreglass and paint 126 x 140 x 140 cm / 49 5/8 x 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 in

Anish Kapoor
Untitled

2012
Alabaster and gold leaf 122 x 66 x 49.5 cm / 48 x 26 x 19 1/2 in

Anish Kapoor
Leviathan

2011
PVC 33.6 x 99.89 x 72.23 metres Installation view, Grand Palais, Paris, France

Anish Kapoor
Leviathan

2011
PVC 33.6 x 99.89 x 72.23 metres Installation view, Grand Palais, Paris, France

Anish Kapoor
Tall Tree & The Eye

2009
Stainless steel over carbon 14 x 6 meters / 35.6 x 15.2 cm meters Installation view, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2009
The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Installation view

2009
The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

Anish Kapoor
Shooting Into the Corner

2008-9
Base frame, barrel, air receivers, compressor and air lines, projectiles 210 x 150 x 100 cm / 82 5/8 x 59 x 39 3/8 in Installation view, Château de Versailles, Versailles, France