Devadeep Gupta
B. 1989
Guwahati, Assam, India

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My artistic work is centered around the exploration of regional ecological uncertainties, conveyed through a critical examination of institutionalized histories and contemporary mainstream perspectives. Inspired by site-specific occurrences, ancestral oral traditions, familial relationships and archival history, I explore forms of the intricate relationship between people and their land. Functioning in the intersectional space between conceptual and documentary, my artistic practice engages the convergence of historical narratives and community-based ecological interactions. In process, I aim to question state-induced development-centric initiatives tend to disregard the delicate web of coexistence embedded in local cultural contexts.

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Feeling the need to extend beyond the confines and individuality of my artistic practice, I co-founded an artistic collective – Northeast Lightbox (NELB), with an aspiration to facilitate an inclusive, discourse-based platform on regional history. NELB serves as a platform for research-led conversations based on archival discourse, fostering dialogue among regional artists, academics, and audiences. Our archival focus lies on histories of local social-work groups, grass-root activist organisations, social mobility and pressure groups.  Apart from archiving as a documentation practice, we aim to engage regional archives as potent artistic tools that challenge blanket perceptions while facilitating comprehensive dialogs through exhibitions, workshops and residencies. With a network of multidisciplinary collaborators, NELB acts as a bridge between historical facts and contemporary perspectives.