Chetan Bhakuni is a South Asian artist whose studio practice spans drawings, paintings, and one animated movie to date. Working primarily with mixed media art, he uses autobiographical narration to explore identity, emotion, and memory. His work often reflects a deeply personal journey; one that examines his complex relationship with his mother and the societal structures that shape it.

Through his oil paintings and drawings, Chetan addresses themes of societal suppression, feudal mentality, and domestic violence. Through his artworks, he creates a space for a conversation to unfold between his mother, himself and the viewer.

Art Practice

Chetan’s approach is both technical and emotional. He continuously experiments with materials and mark-making, balancing controlled precision with instinctive gestures. The use of a palette knife creates strong, defined patterns that contrast with the fluidity of his strokes, while his restrained colour palette heightens the tension within each composition.

His oil painting on panel/wood works are particularly known for their depth and texture. By combining this with the delicacy of water-colour painting and the immediacy of ball-point pen drawing, Chetan constructs a layered, almost tactile visual experience. His mixed media explorations, often incorporating plaster and textured surfaces, give his paintings a sculptural presence. Everyday objects appear disproportionately large or symbolically charged against dark, flat backgrounds, creating surreal, dreamlike scenes that blur the line between memory and imagination.

Artistic Philosophy

Chetan Bhakuni believes that each artwork can generate an idea capable of setting off an endless chain of emotional and psychological events, an energy that transcends the artwork itself. For him, art becomes a shared space of empathy and reflection. Through his narrative and autobiographical mixed media art, Chetan connects diverse identities and experiences, transforming personal stories into universal expressions of resilience and healing.

Although his visual world often revolves around deeply personal and painful memories such as domestic violence, alcoholism, and social hierarchies, it also opens pathways for collective catharsis. Each painting becomes a fragment of a larger consciousness, inviting viewers to reflect on their own emotional histories.

Exhibition History

Group Exhibitions

2024-25

• ‘Fragile Strength’, Travelling Exhibition, India and The UK, Artlune

2023

• ‘Colour of My Soil?’, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, Artlune

2020

• ‘New Generation Gallery’, Virtual Exhibition, Arts Review

• ‘Forced Perspective’, Burren College of Art, Ireland

2019

• ‘Cross Section’, Virtual Exhibition, University of Montana

• ‘KALANAND: An exhibition of emerging artist of India’, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai.

• ‘Into my mind’, Burren College of Art, Newtown Castle, Ireland

• ‘The Showbear Family Circus’, Virtual exhibition

2016

• ‘Kreative’, Amity university of Fine arts, Noida, India

Film Festival Selections

• Jaipur International Film Festival, India (2021)

• 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, India (2021)

• Pune International Film Festival, India (2021)

• Sphere Digital World Cinema Carnival, Kolkata, India (2021)

• New Delhi Film Festival, India (2021)

• 11th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival, India (2021)

Awards, Grants & Recognition

• Non-Feature Film Selection, 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, India (2021)

• Special Jury Mention, Jaipur International Film Festival, India (2021)

• Special Jury Mention, New Delhi Film Festival, India (2021)

• Special Jury Mention, 11th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival, India (2021)

• Winner, All India Gold Award (New Media), Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (2019)

• Winner, Merit Award for Delhi Zone (Painting), Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (2017)

• Kalanand Grant & Award, Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (2022–23)

• Kalanand Grant & Award, Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (2017–18)

Publications

Critical Writing & Publications

• Irish Arts Review, “New Generation: Chetan Bhakuni” (2020), artist feature as part of New Generation Gallery, Class of 2020, Burren College of Art

• The Quint, Featured illustrations by Chetan Bhakuni (2022-2025)

Institutional & Exhibition Features

• Instituto Cervantes, New Delhi, “Fragile Strength” (2025), group exhibition feature presenting Chetan Bhakuni within the curatorial project Fragile Strength

• Presence & Place, Burren College of Art, institutional participation reference

• Education Expo TV, Selection Results Feature (Music Video, Animation & Ads)

• The News Himachal, Coverage of International Film Festival of Shimla (2022)

Publications & Institutional References

• Bharat Dalit Literature Academy Museum — Kalanand Publication

• Government of India Press Information Bureau — institutional feature

Literary & Curatorial Mentions

Lance Schaubert. ‘Tarang‘ (2019) literary/critical mention referencing Chetan Bhakuni’s work