NS Harsha, Melting Wit, 2006. Collection: Sakshi Gallery. © the artist
Indian artist NS Harsha has won the third Artes Mundi Prize. The £40,000 prize was awarded to Harsha by Jack Persekian, Chairman of the judging panel, and Chinese artist Xu Bing, also a judge and the winner of the first Artes Mundi Prize in 2004.
NS Harsha is a storytelling artist who combines details of his everyday life in his native India with world events and images seen on the news. Using the Indian tradition of miniature painting, he mixes the specific with the universal, drawing attention to the whimsical and absurd as well as the significant and tragic aspects of life.
"We based our decision on the artists' work over the last 5-8 years," said Jack Persekian, "and were particularly interested in work that added to our understanding of humanity and the human condition."
"The panel were impressed by the scope of his work and its range and variety of approach, from painting and installation to community activities. Basing his work upon his locality, cultural traditions and the shifting world of today, Harsha engages and connects with an ever broadening public."
The prize ceremony took place at the National Museum Cardiff on April 24 2008.
Awarded every two years, the £40,000 prize is the largest international art prize in the UK and one of the largest art prizes in the world. It recognises outstanding emerging artists from around the world who discuss the human condition.
