Biography

Born in Mumbai, India, Kapoor moved to London in 1973 to study at Hornsey College of Art (1973-77) and Chelsea School of Art (1977-8). He was taught and mentored by the British-Romanian artist Paul Neagu (1938-2004) who was instrumental in helping Kapoor to articulate his cross-cultural artistic vision. Kapoor’s early work broke from the Minimalism and, as he put it, the ‘truth to materials’ attitude of previous generations of sculptors. Rising up from the floor and coated with powdered pigment, his 1980s biomorphic sculptures included references to ancient mythologies, and the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds. They also revealed an interest in stimulating sensory responses. These themes became key to Kapoor’s art. Deceptively simple and largely monochromatic, his works often challenge perception through the interplay of curvilinear forms, reflective surfaces, and size. He works with varied materials including stone, wax, fibreglass, PVC, and concave or convex mirrors. Since the early 2000s, Kapoor’s interest in responding to site and architecture has led him to make ambitiously scaled and constructed sculptures and installations. These include: Marsayas (2002), a vast PVC structure that spanned the length of the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, London; Cloud Gate (2004), an ellipse of polished stainless steel sited permanently in Chicago; Orbit (2012), a tubular steel sculpture and observation tower in London; and Ark Nova (2013) an inflatable mobile concert hall in Japan. Kapoor won the Turner prize in 1991. He was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2003 and knighted in 2013 for services to visual arts. He currently lives and works in London.