Vasundhara Shankari Sellamuthu is a UK based South Asian artist. With an interest in vernacular design and nomenclature, she considers themes of home, authorship and cross-cultural hierarchies through multimedia works. Recent facade paintings allude to twin references - self built homes in the Indian subcontinent and western abstract paintings, establishing a relationship between the wall and the canvas. Community project Useful and Beautiful draws on the Rajasthani folk kavad or portable story-box, to present poems and creative writing by residents of Walthamstow on the theme of home. Through playful inversions, her text signs borrow the language of way-finding infrastructure to consider the nicknaming of cities, often in the Global South. Artistic influences include Ellsworth Kelly, Lubna Chowdhary, and Marjetica Potrc. She is equally inspired by (often) uncredited crafts and trades professionals.
Show participations include ‘Whim-Wham,’ 1B Window Gallery, London (2024), ‘Rinse & Repeat,’ Hypha Studios at Sugar House Island, London (2024), ‘Cat Flap Blink,’ Terrace Gallery, London (2024), ‘Cite - South Asian Heritage Month,’ Lea Bridge Library Pavilion, London (2023), ‘MA Show,’ City & Guilds of London Art School, London (2021), 'Distant Fellowship - Morris and South Asia,' William Morris Gallery, London (2021), ‘Common Ground&,’ Copeland Gallery, London (2021), ‘Broadway,’ Scaffold Collective Chennai, online (2020), ‘Stacking dreams,’ London Festival of Architecture at Wood Street Studios, London (2019), ‘Poka-yoke’ and ‘Drawing Index,’ at Cholamandal Artists Village, Chennai (2019). Sellamuthu received the Useful & Beautiful artist commission from Urban by Nature, London (2020-21). She graduated with Distinction from the MA Fine Art course at City & Guilds of London Art School (2021), has a BA in History of Art from Goldsmiths’ (2013), studied Architecture at the Architectural Association (2008-2011), and Foundation at Chelsea College of Arts (2008) in London. Born in Coimbatore and brought up in Chennai, India, she currently lives and works in London, UK.
Recent press
http://asianculturevulture.com/portfolios/vasundhara-sellamuthu-stellar-international-rising-star-2022-talks-about-her-work-exploring-chennai-as-the-detroit-of-india-signage-and-multi-coloured-homes/
https://momus.ca/haubitzzoche-frames-indias-iconic-movie-theaters-and-absents-them/
https://artreview.com/ara-spring-2020-column-deepa-bhasthi/
Contact: vasundharashankari@gmail.com
Instagram @vasusell