Contents
Anish Kapoor
Creating Cloud Gate, Chicago's mirror-like sculpture known as The Bean, and vast installations that play with perception.
Marsyas · Cloud Gate
- Born
- 12 March 1954
- Birthplace
- Mumbai, India
More people
Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor is a British-Indian sculptor whose works use pigment, polished metal and deep voids to unsettle the sense of surface and space. His projects range from intimate objects to major public landmarks.
Early life
Mumbai childhood
Grew up in Mumbai and attended the Doon School in India.
Art training in Britain
Moved to Britain in 1973 and studied at Hornsey and Chelsea art schools.
Career
- 1980s
Pigment sculptures
Became known for brightly coloured forms that seem to emerge from floors and walls.
- 1990–1991
International recognition
Represented Britain at the Venice Biennale and won the Turner Prize the following year.
- 2000s
Monumental installations
Undertook major commissions using reflective steel and stretched membranes.
- 2010s
Architectural scale
Extended his work into vast enclosed spaces and public structures.
Selected work
Marsyas
A stretched red membrane spanned Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.
Cloud Gate
Polished steel reflects Chicago’s skyline and the visitors beneath it.
Leviathan
An immense inflatable form occupied the Grand Palais in Paris.
ArcelorMittal Orbit
A looping tower created with engineer Cecil Balmond for London’s Olympic Park.
Beyond the studio
Public advocacy
Has supported campaigns for refugees and freedom of expression.
Material debate
His exclusive artistic access to a version of Vantablack prompted debate about ownership and access to art materials.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗Photo: Vogler. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
