Curriculum Vitae

Download a pdf version of the CV here.

SHELLY JYOTI CV

Visual/textile artist, fashion designer, poet, independent curator

Born: 1957, Rohtak, Haryana
Lives/Works: Gurgaon/ New Delhi, India

www.shellyjyoti.com

 EDUCATION

1995 Fashion Design and Clothing Technology, National Institute of Fashion Technology,

 New Delhi, India

1980 MA English Literature, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India

1978 BA English Literature with Fine Arts, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Indigo: The Blue Gold 

2023 South Asia Institute, Chicago, IL   

Epoch 2020: An Iconology of Time 

2021 Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (virtual exhibition/webinar)

 Bound by duty: An idea of Swaraj and Collectiveness

2019, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

2019, India International Center, New Delhi

2018, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

 Revisiting Gandhi: The Art of Shelly Jyoti 2009-2018

2018 Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

      The Khadi March: Just Five Meters

2017 National Gallery for Modern Art, Bengaluru

2017 Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

2016 Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

 

Salt: The Great March

2015 Azad Bhavan Gallery, Indian Council of Cultural Relations ICCR, Delhi

2014 The Museum Dakshin Chitra, Chennai

2014 IIC India International Centre, New Delhi

2013 IGNCA Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

 

Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina

2017 Indigo Narratives: An Ode to Neel Darpan, The Museum for National Archives of India, New Delhi

2014 Indigo: Exhibition of Textiles by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, Gandhi Memorial Centre, Bethesda, MD

2013 Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, Chicago Cultural Centre, Chicago, IL

2011 Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, Diana Lowenstein Gallery, Miami, FL

2011 Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA

2010 Indigo: New works by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai

2009 Indigo: New works by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

2009 Indigo: New works by Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina, ABS Red Earth Art Gallery, Baroda, Gujarat

 

Beyond Mithila: Exploring the Decorative

2010 Taj Palace, New Delhi

2009 Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

2009 Jamaat Art Gallery, Mumbai

2008 Woman Made Gallery Chicago, Chicago, IL

  

Lyrical Abstraction: A Space for Abstraction & Muses

2007 Experimental Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

2008 Sristhi Art Gallery Welcome Hotel, Baroda

       

Pastels, Inks, Drawings – Works on Paper

2004 ICC, Milpitas, California

2004 Welcome Art Gallery, Baroda

             

Woman of the New Millennium

1999 Shristi Art Gallery, Baroda

 

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

 

2023 “Svavlambhan” Triptych Charkha “Wheels of Svavlambhan,” New Parliament House of India 

2023 Shakti Ministry of textiles Govt Of India, International Women’s day, New Delhi  

2022 Generations, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL

2021 Re-imagining the Global Village, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee, WI, curated by Nirmal Raja

2021 Yatra Nariyastra, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, curated by Uma Nair

2019 Small Works Member Show, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago

2018 NEW TRADITIONS: Influences & Inspirations in Indian Textiles, 1947-2017 

 Jawahar Kala Kendra

2017 Reunion 2, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL

2016 Traversing Traditions/India, Charter Oak Cultural Center Hartford, CT

2013 CARE Package India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi

2012 CARE Package, Twelve Gate, Philadelphia, PA, and Curator: Ombretta Agro

2012 Ajrakh Blazing Sun, United Art Fair, New Delhi

2010 13th International Open, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL. Curator: Laura Kina

 2010 Logged, Emami Chisel Art Calcutta, India. Curator: Amit Mukhopadhya

2010 Art Fusion, Nehru Centre, Mumbai. Curator: Nina Rege

 2009 Natures Fury (Curatorial Digital Project), Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

2009 Women Imaging Women: A Study of Female Portraiture, Robert Morris University, Chicago, Curator: Amy Galpin

2007 The Spirit of India, Singapore. Curator: Anu Aggarwal

2007 Line and Form, The Mahua Art Gallery, Bangalore

2007 Cynosure Lanxes, ABS Art Gallery, Baroda, Gujarat

2006 Creative Fantasy, The Mahua Art Gallery, Bangalore

2006 Elle Decor Art & Design Show, New Delhi. Curator: Dr. Alka Pande

2006 Here Comes the Bride, Woman Made Gallery, and Chicago, Illinois. Curator: Beate Minkovski

2004 Print Making, Chaap, Baroda

2003 Women, Trauma and Visual Expression, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2002 Nature’s Fury, (curatorial project) Digital artwork, Srishti Art Gallery

2002 Voices against Violence, Fine Arts Faculty, Baroda

2001 Earthquake Relief Art Benefit, Fine Arts Faculty, Baroda

SELECT CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2012 VASTRAM: Splendid World of Indian Textiles for ASEAN countries

 Indian council of cultural relations (ICCR project)

2018 Astan, kazakhstan 

2015 Muscat, Oman 

2013-15 MGC Asian Traditional Textiles Museum, Siem Reap City, Cambodia

 

HONORS/AWARDS /GRANTS

 2018 Sahitya kala parishad award, Government of India “Women artist ”

 2018 Exhibition grant,  Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

2017 Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi and South Region

2013 Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts IGNCA, New Delhi

2012 Indian Council of Cultural Relation-’Indigo Narrative’ Project International, ICCR, New Delhi

2011 Sahitya kala parishad award, Government of India “Women artist ”

2010 Grant for curatorial project Nature’s Fury by Gujarat Sports & Culture Ministry, Gujarat

2009 Grant for Indigo Narrative project by Gujarat Lalit Kala Academy, Gujarat

2004 Artist of Eminence by Baroda Management Association, Baroda, Gujarat

1994 Best Traditional Craft Design Collection Award, NIFT, New Delhi

 

ARTIST LECTURES /CONFERENCES /WORKSHOPS

2023 ‘Indigo as a Textile Art’- In conversation with Historian Lisa Trivedi,  South Asia Institute, Chicago IL

2023 ‘Indigo as Art and Commodity’,  A panel discussion-moderated by Dr Madhuvanti Ghosh and Prof Shaurya kumar 

South Asia Institute, ChicagoIL 

 2022 “Digital Reality During Pandemic Times: Epoch 2020” Palash art lectures, IGNCA, New Delhi

2021 “Mapping Ajrakh Textile Traditions Through Contemporary Art and Craft,” Birla institute of Art & Design, Calcutta 

2021 “Khadi & Ajrakh Embodies Swadeshi Movement: Relevance of Gandhi in Present Tense,” Embassy of India San Francisco CA  

2021 “Integrating Art, Craft and Design: Through Textile Art and Installation in Contemporary Visual Space,” National institute of Fashion technology, Bengaluru

2021 “Revisiting Gandhi in Pandemic Times: An Artistic Journey Through Ajrakh” Production,” Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralya CSMVS, Mumbai

2020 “Gandhi’s Thought Leadership in Relevance: Through Textile Art and Installation,” Indian Embassy  of Sao Paulo, Brazil

2020 “Imagined Communities: Swaraj and Collectiveness,” Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

2019 “Gandhi’s Thought Leadership in Relevance to the 21stC: Textile Production in Contemporary Art and Craft,” National Museum of India, New Delhi
2019 “Gandhi’s Thought Leadership in Relevance to the 21stC: Through Textile Art and   Installations,” Lady Irwin College, New Delhi
2019 “Gandhi’s Thought Leadership in Relevance to the 21stC: Through Textile Art and Installations,” India Foundation International Conference on Soft power, Taj Hotel, New Delhi
2018 “Mapping Ajrakh Traditions In Contemporary Art and Craft,” George Washington University, Textile Museum

2018 “Khadi and sustainability,” Panel discussion-YES Bank Culture, New Delhi
2018 Ajrakh workshop and Talk with craftsman Juned khatri, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi
2017 Film Screening and Poetry Reading, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore

2016 “Installation Art: Objects, Things and Symbolism,”  XIX International Conference, The Forum on Contemporary Theory, Baroda, Gujarat

2016 “The Poetics of Khadi: Cutting Across Time and Space,” Panelists: Ritu Beri-Fashion designer; Meenakshi Lekhi-MP; Shelly Jyoti artist, Geeta Goradia- Chairperson Jewel Industries, Varsha Das- A Gandhian thinker, art critic and litterateur; Poonam Goel-Delhi based art writer 

2016 “The Making of The Khadi March: Just Five Meters,” Textile Design dept, National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

2015 “Gandhi’s Political Enlightenment Traversing Human Lives and Humanity,” XVIII International Conference “The Wider Significance of Nature,” Ravenshaw University, Cuttack Odisha, India

2015A “Indigo: Narratives: An Ode to Neel Darpan,” Shiv Nadar School, Noida.

2014 “Salt-A colonial Metaphor: Relevance today-Verbal, Visual and New Media,” Art by Shelly Jyoti, 17th International Conference, Forum for Contemporary Theory, Goa

2014 “Invoking history and celebrating the subaltern,” Apparao Art Gallery, Magnolias, DLF phase 5, Gurgaon, Haryana

2014“Invoking history and celebrating the subaltern,” Apparao Art Gallery, Chennai

2014 “Salt- A Colonial Metaphor: Relevance today,”  National Lalit Kala Academy, Chennai 

2014 “Textile Installations in Contemporary Visual Space,” NIFT, New Delhi

2013 “Lincoln, Gandhi and Obama: A creative visual dialogue in Miniature painting style,” Academic paper, 31st Annual international ATWS conference, IIT Chennai

2013 “Rebuilding: A Sense of Nationalism” Indira Gandhi National Centre of the Arts, New Delhi

2013 “Quilting, Art history and Metaphor,” DePaul University students With Professor Jean Bryan Chicago Rooms, Chicago Cultural Center

2013 Public Lecture- “Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina,” Shelly Jyoti, Laura Kina and Pushpika Frietas, Chicago Rooms, Chicago Cultural Center

2013 Artist Talk- “Indigo: Shelly Jyoti & Laura Kina,” Art Institute of Chicago, students with Professor Nora Taylor-Asian Art Now, Chicago Cultural Center

2013 Artist Talk: Art Institute of Chicago, Textile Society, Chicago Cultural Center

2012 “The Splendid Textiles of India: Trade| Cotton| Cloth,” Forum on Contemporary Theory, XV International Conference Theme: “Media and Utopia: Imagination, History, Technology” Allahabad, India

2011 “Beyond Mithila Past & Present,” DePaul University, Chicago, IL

2011 “Transnational Artistic Collaboration: Shelly Jyoti and Laura Kina,” Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 

2009 “The Politics of Indigo: Revisiting India’s Torrid Colonial Past,” Centre for Contemporary Theory and General Semantics, Baroda

2008 “Beyond Mithila Past & Present,” University of Illinois, Chicago

2005 “Designing: Methods & Trends” Dept. of Home Science, M.S. University, Baroda

2004 “Woman Artist and a Designer,” Seminar on Women Force and Source, Baroda Management Association

2002 “Technology and Computation Accelerating the Speed and Growth in the Garment Industry,” Forum for Contemporary Theory, Baroda

1996 “Designing Kids Wear from Concept to Consumer,” Course leader and coordinator six week programme design, National Institute of Fashion Technology,  New Delhi

 

PUBLICATIONS 

Exhibition Catalogs

Shelly Jyoti – Indigo: The Blue Gold. Edited by curator Laura Kina. Chicago/New Delhi: South Asia Institute/ GoodEarth.in, 2023.

Revisiting Gandhi: The Art of Shelly Jyoti 2009-2018. Edited by Kathryn Myers. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 2018.

Shelly Jyoti – The Khadi March: Just Five Meters. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 2017.

Shelly Jyoti –  Salt: The Great March. New Delhi: Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR, 2014.

Shelly Jyoti –  Salt: The Great March. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 2013.

Shelly Jyoti. “Vastram” – Splendid Textiles of India. New Delhi: Indian Council of Cultural Relations, 2012.

Additional Selected Publications
Jyoti, Shelly. “Ajrakh: Celebrating Textile traditions by Shelly Jyoti.” Namaste (ITC magazine), Jodhpur issue, 2015.
Gill, Brinda. “Indigo Narratives Series.” The Quilters, Spring 2012.

Jyoti, Shelly. “Me, my mother and my daughter” 20×32 inches (inside cover art). Sahitya Akademi: Indian Literature, edited by Ankur betagiri, LVI, no. 2 (No. 268 March/April 2012).

Jyoti, Shelly. “Me, my mother and my daughter’ date, 20×32 inches inches,dry pastels on handmade paper, Shringara: The Many of Faces of Indian Beauty, by Alka Pande, Rupa & Co., New Delhi, 2011.

Jyoti, Shelly. Untitled, 2012, 8×11 inches, mixed media on paper (cover artwork). Socleen Journal, “Genetically modified crops,” 2012.

Jyoti, Shelly.“Art & Couture: The Collaborations.” ArtETCMagazine, 2010.

“Indigo Narratives: New Work by Shelly Jyoti and Laura Kina.” Visual Arts Publications IHC, vol.9, (2010)

Jyoti, Shelly. The green house, 2010 , 9×12 inches, mixed media (cover artwork). Socleen Journal, “Green Houses,” 2010.

Jyoti, Shelly. (cover artwork). Socleen Annual Journal, “Global Warming,” 2009.

Jyoti, Shelly. “The Alchemist,” 2008, 8×11 inches, dry pastels on paper(cover artwork). Institute of General Semantics, 2008.

Jyoti, Shelly. Meditative, 2007, 8×11 inches, dry pastels on paper (cover artwork). St. Xavier University Magazine, Spring, 2007.

Jyoti, Shelly. Artwork and poetries (cover page). Sahitya Akademi: Indian Literature, edited by AJ Thomas. (IL238, 2007)

Jyoti, Shelly. “Raja Ravi Verma: Fusion of Art and Design.” Times of India, 2002.

JUROR & RELATED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

2019 Bound by Duty: An Idea of Swaraj and Collectiveness, juried NIFT student Project Room exhibition, India International Centre, New Delhi

2018 Revisiting Gandhi: The Art of Shelly Jyoti, juried NIFT student Project Room exhibition, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi

2017 Juried Graduate Textile design exhibition, National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

2015 Juried Junk Juxtaposed, The Times of India initiative, National event, NIFT, New Delhi

2015 Juried fashion show organized by Deccan Herald, New Delhi

2014 Juried and lectured at National Institute for Fashion Technology NIFT, New Delhi

2001-2005 Juried fashion shows – National Institutes of Fashion Design, Baroda

1994-2003 Designed, manufactured garments under my own label “SHELLY JYOTI” domestic market Freelance designer for export houses for American and European markets. Coordinated fashion related courses in Fashion Institutes in India.

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Forum for Contemporary Theory Baroda, Gujarat

DAAN-The Diasporic Asian Art Network, New York

Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

Association. Global South studies, Shreveport, LA

Kasturba Gandhi Trust of India, New Delhi 

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, New Delhi 

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

New Parliament of India, New Delhi Triptych artwork  

TAPI collection (Textiles & Art of the People of India), Surat, India

IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts), New Delhi

International Lincoln Centre Louisiana State University, Shreveport, USA

Works in many private and corporate collections in India and USA

SOCIAL INITIATIVES

Supporting Ajrakh textile artisans

Art for Adult Autism

 

Select Bibliography

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014 

 

Research Interests: History of Colonial India; Gandhi and his idea of non-violence, Gandhi, khadi and examine indigenous communities, colonization, and narratives of immigration through subaltern studies. visual culture; critical theory; traditional textiles of the world, subaltern studies