Siji Krishnan

Siji Krishnan (b. 1983, Kerala) is a contemporary artist based in Kochi, India, whose delicate works on rice paper explore themes of memory, domesticity, and belonging. Rooted in her childhood experiences in southern India, Krishnan’s paintings often depict quiet scenes of family life, rendered in soft washes of pastel hues like golden yellows, warm browns, and muted peaches. Her practice is deeply informed by the Sanskrit phrase vasudhaiva kutumbakam : the world is one family a sentiment that echoes throughout her intimate, emotionally resonant work.

Krishnan earned her BFA from Raja Ravi Varma College under the University of Kerala and completed her MFA at the Sarojini Naidu School of Fine Arts, Hyderabad, in 2007. In 2019, she was an artist-in-residence at Koganecho Art Center in Yokohama, Japan.

Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the NGV Triennial in Melbourne, and the Moscow Biennale. She has held solo shows at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke in Mumbai and will open her first solo exhibition in the U.S. at Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles in 2024.

Krishnan’s works are part of major public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Dallas Museum of Art, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.