T. V. Santhosh (b. 1968, Kerala) is an artist who explores themes of war, modern-day crises, and popular culture in his sculptural and canvas works. His works on canvas are deeply influenced by the media and news, incorporating statements that stand out against his vivid colors and realistic figures, addressing social and political issues faced by India. His use of bright colors is reminiscent of photographic negatives, asking his audience to think critically about how we see and process violence. The photojournalistic quality of his works blurs the boundary between documentation and artistic interpretation, prompting viewers to question how images of conflict are mediated and consumed.
Since his first solo show, “One Hand Clapping/Siren,” in 2003 with the Guild Art Gallery in Mumbai at the Jehangir Art Gallery, his recent shows include “History Lab and the Elegy of Visceral Incantations” in 2023 at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, “Contextual Cosmologies” in 2023 at the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, “Freedom and Awakening,” which took place from 2022 to 2023 at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, and “Lokame Tharavadu” in 2021 as part of the Kochi Biennale. In 2024, Santhosh participated in the inaugural Bengal Biennale in Santiniketan, where he presented “Dreams of Doom: Recent Works of T.V. Santhosh.” The exhibition featured his more recent paintings, which move away from the highly color-coded imagery of his earlier work and instead blend truth and fiction through a wider range of visual references.
The artist currently lives in and works out of Mumbai.