Gunjan Kumar

Gunjan Kumar is an Indian – American artist and scholar based in Chicago, originally from
Punjab, India. Kumar received her Bachelor’s in Arts from DAV College for Women, Chandigarh,
and is a postgraduate in Textiles from the National Institute of Design and Technology, New
Delhi. She has spent many years traveling through India and other countries in South Asia,
observing age-old practices in textiles and indigenous arts and crafts, visiting archeological sites,
observing prehistoric paintings and other tribal arts. All these experiences form the undertone
of her art practice. Her process involves ground earth and organic matter used as core mediums,
applied on natural surfaces with techniques inspired by traditional methods. Her works have
been exhibited all over the world and are a part of noted private collections globally. She has
been a resident fellow at the Edward Albee Foundation, Montauk, NY (2016-2017) and Chicago
Art Department (2021-2023).

Kumar recently concluded the Sindhu Project with American Pakistani artist Mahwish Chishty,
that presents their responses to exploration of archaeological sites and artifacts in the Sindhu
(Indus) watershed, a geographical region extending across northwest India and much of
Pakistan. This project premiered as a two-person show at the South Asia Institute, Chicago (June
2021), was exhibited at the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan (November 2021) and
Gallery Exhibit320, in collaboration with the American Embassy, New Delhi ( April 2022).

As an independent educator, she has worked with art and design institutions such as University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Harper College, Palatine, IL, Olivet Nazarene University,
Bourbonnais, IL, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louise, Design Museum of Chicago, Ukrainian
Institute of Modern Art, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, among others.