Collection: Rudra Kishore Mandal

Born and raised in Kolkata, Rudra moved to Hyderabad to study at the Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Rudra worked as a graphic designer in three different Indian cities for six years.

Upon returning to Kolkata in 2008, Rudra began creating independent artistic works again in various media, including painting, digital graphics, and installations. The works are exhibited both in India and internationally through physical and virtual galleries.

Rudra sees herself as an "Artivist" – an artist who uses art as a tool for human rights activism, with a particular focus on gender and sexuality issues. As a queer person, the exploration of her own sexuality and gender identity shapes a large part of her work. In doing so, the political dimensions of queer bodies, feminism, and gender and sexuality rights are explored to provide other queer people with a point of reference and a sense of belonging.

Rudra has been featured in numerous national and international group exhibitions, including collaborations with the Alliance Française, the American Center, the British Council, the Italian Ministry of Culture, Eurasia, Spazio Tempo Arte, AIAPI, UNESCO, Queer Asia, Amnesty International, Blackwall, SOAS University London and the British Museum, as well as KCC and ICCR in Kolkata, the India Art Fair in Delhi, and the Art Society of India in Mumbai.