Dr. Ramesh Nithiyendran

Biography

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran is a Sri Lankan-born contemporary artist and lecturer whose practice critically engages with global histories, languages, and figurative representation. His work is informed by South Asian visual traditions and material culture, with a particular focus on the intersections of idolatry, monumentality, gender, race, and religion. He is widely recognized for his experimental and irreverent approach to ceramic media, extending his practice to a diverse material vocabulary that includes bronze, painting, and printmaking. Nithiyendran's artworks have been exhibited in major institutions and festivals, including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Dhaka Art Summit, and the Sharjah Art Foundation. In addition to his artistic practice, he has contributed to cultural programming as a presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and regularly participates in assessment and prize consultancy panels within the industry. He serves on the board of Artspace, Sydney. His research interests include contemporary art sculpture, queer gender theory, South Asian art histories, and diasporic visual cultures, all of which underpin his studio practice and broader contributions to discourse on materiality, representation, and identity in global contemporary art. He is particularly invested in expanding narratives of non-Western figurative traditions in relation to contemporary aesthetics and critical theory. Nithiyendran has received recognition for his contributions to the field, including the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship in 2019 for outstanding artistic talent and professional courage. His major monograph, 'RAMESH,' a 368-page volume published by Thames & Hudson, was released internationally in 2022. His large-scale installation 'Avatar Towers,' comprising 70 ceramic and bronze figures, has been acquired by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Research Interests