Valay Shende

Valay Shende is an Indian sculptor and video artist born in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1980. He received his Diploma in Art Education in Nagpur in 2000 before graduating with a BFA in sculpture in 2004 from the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he still lives and works. Inspired by his surroundings, Shende uses his body of work to capture the challenges and dichotomies that characterize India today, particularly the striking divide between modern and industrial views on one hand, and traditional religious ones on the other. His recent sculptures, unique in both their process and scale, are intricately built out of minute metal discs, pocket watches, copper-plated fiberglass and other non-traditional materials. The combination of video art and sculptural installations in his practice is also unique, adding an entirely new dimension to classical ideas of sculpture.